British and Irish Lions 2017: Warren Gatland wants performances to silence the local critics as mind games continue

78 per cent of New Zealanders can't name a single British and Irish Lions squad member, but Gatland was called on his side to give them a reason to remember their names

Warren Gatland wants the Lions' performances to silence their critics in New Zealand (Getty)

After being told that 78 per cent of New Zealanders can’t name a single British and Irish Lions squad member, Warren Gatland called for his side to prove a point and earn respect from his homeland by defeating the All Blacks for the first time in 46 years.

Though Gatland was sceptical about the stat put to him by New Zealand media, he was wary of criticising his compatriots given their educated knowledge of the oval ball sport. The Lions coach clearly suspected that all was not genuine about the 78 per cent figure though, with the mind games ahead of Saturday’s tour-opening match against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in full swing.

“You’ve got be very careful about what you say. As a Kiwi, if you’re critical of New Zealand, how isolated we are, you get absolutely smashed, so you keep your mouth shut. It probably sums it up, you know,” admitted Gatland.

“If we leave the tour and they’ve made an impression, that would be pretty positive. I’m not sure a lot of people in New Zealand watch the Pro12, the Aviva Premiership or even the Six Nations and as a result you don’t know too many of the players. There’ll be a lot of players in the Northern Hemisphere who think Dan Carter is still playing for the All Blacks.”

Having developed into New Zealand’s greatest rival after leaving his homeland to coach Wales and now the British and Irish Lions against the All Blacks, Gatland enjoys a friendly rivalry with the public here whenever he returns.

But he believes that while this complacency has been the downfall of great New Zealand sides in the past, that isn’t the case anymore. The All Blacks infamously went through a period of near-misses, when sides capable of winning the World Cup failed to do so in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007. That they finally got over the line on their own soil in 2011 triggered a new era of domination for New Zealand rugby, and the Lions head coach understands that times have changed where Steve Hansen has his side well-rounded on focusing on themselves as well as the opposition.

“In the past, when the last time, one question with Brodie Retallick and er, Michael Lawes, that probably sums up everything,” Gatland noted, drawing on a comical mix-up in 2014 when the New Zealand second-row appeared to forget who Lions lock Courtney Lawes is. “Michael Lawes was a politician. Look, you can’t get hung up on those things. If we play some good rugby, made an impression and won the series, I won’t care whether it's 78 per cent (who can't name a Lions player).

“That is part of the preparation, isn't it? I know our players will have done their homework in terms of exactly who they're playing against. In the past the All Blacks have tended to concentrate on themselves, they haven't worried too much about who they're playing against.

“They've never really worried about us in terms of the way they've prepared. That's completely up to them. I know we'll do our homework.”

The Lions squd went through their first training session on Thursday (Getty)

The first chance Gatland has to shut up the New Zealand public comes in the northern town of Whangerei, where the focus will be on one of the Provincial Barbarians players just as much as it is on the Lions. Gatland goes up against his son, Bryn, who on Thursday was named in the starting line-up at fly-half, and Gatland is hoping he won’t be emulating his father and the 1993 Chiefs’ victory over the Lions.

Maybe when the 30,000 Lions supporters arrive and they do the poll again the number might go up

Warren Gatland

“The Farrells have been through exactly the same situation. We’ve had a chat about that and a bit of banter,” he added. “I'll catch up with Bryn tomorrow.

“It's not an emotional occasion, I have joked with him that we both would have played against the Lions and it's unfortunate that only one of us would have won.

“I desperately hope that is the case.”

Gatland's son, Bryn, starts for the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians at fly-half (Getty)

The Lions really should beat the Provincial Barbarians quite easily given they have a smattering of Super Rugby appearances between the entire squad, and greater challenges will lie ahead for the touring side, not least the game against the New Zealand Maori a week before the first Test against the All Blacks where Gatland confirmed he will begin to structure his first-choice XV.

“That's hopefully the whole plan. I see the tour in two parts: everything up to the Maori game and then everything post that. If we can go and play some good rugby and make people stand up and take a little bit of notice it's going to create even more interest,” Gatland added.

But the Kiwi could not let the amusing 78 per cent stat go before he left to take the Lions squad through their first full training session since arriving here in Auckland on Wednesday.

He said with the famous Gatland smirk: “Maybe when the 30,000 Lions supporters arrive and they do the poll again the number might go up.”