British and Irish Lions coach Graham Henry said today claims that his team were the "Grumpy Lions" in their dealings with the Australian media were "rubbish".
Henry criticised the Australian media's treatment of the tourists and was backed bycaptain Martin Johnson at a news conference to promote Saturday's first test against the World Cup-winning Wallabies.
Henry was asked his reaction to reports that Johnson had been uncooperative with the media at a function on Thursday, where he posed for photographers with Eales as they held the Tom Richards Cup.
"I think it's a load of rubbish. How's that for grumpiness?" Henry said. "I think our PR's been superb. It's just part of the continuing agenda [against the Lions] I guess."
Johnson, like Eales had done at a Wallaby news conference earlier today, played down talk of fisticuffs in the wake of a fiery encounter between the Lions and the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney on June 23rd.
"There's been a few isolated incidents on this tour and that seems to be have been the topic of the media since we got here," Johnson said. "We're just basically bored with all that chat from the media and we've just basically ignored itfrom the start.
"It's just a game of rugby. If John's said that I think he's right," Johnson added.