Lions coach gets the clown treatment

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has joined Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika in being mocked up as a cartoon clown by New Zealand's national newspaper.

Gatland received the treatment from the New Zealand Herald after a war of words erupted between him and All Blacks counterpart Steve Hansen over claims the world champions have illegally targeted Lions halfback Conor Murray.

Hansen was moved to call a radio station to respond to Gatland's claims his side went after Murray's standing leg when box-kicking in the Lions' 30-15 loss in Saturday's first Test in Auckland.

The newspaper dished out the clown treatment to Cheika in 2016 and the Australian media has previously applied the same caricature to England boss Eddie Jones.

The second Test is in Wellington on Saturday.