The Irish television presenter who angered Steve Hansen is renowned for her persistent interviewing. Photo / Twitter.
The Irish television presenter who angered Steve Hansen is renowned for her persistent interviewing. Photo / Twitter.
The Irish television presenter who angered Steve Hansen is renowned for her persistent interviewing - but the All Blacks coach is one of the few coaches not to fall into her trap.
Clare MacNamara works for RTE, Irish television's version of TVNZ and the host broadcaster in Ireland for theDublin test, has form when it comes to pushing hard for questions.
And she has a few victims to her name too.
The experienced broadcaster, who started out in county journalism for a small radio station, is famed for an interview earlier this year with leading Gaelic hurling coach Davy Fitzgerald.
Hurling is huge in Ireland and is televised live. MacNamara interviewed the notoriously grumpy Fitzgerald after his team had lost a key final by a point.
Fitzgerald begins the interview with the same stony-faced grimace Hansen was wearing after New Zealand's 21-9 victory over the Irish on Sunday morning.
But that's where the similarities end. MacNamara wore down Fitzgerald - Hansen sent her to Coventry.
The Fitzgerald interview is a source of mirth in Ireland with the coach claiming he has no comment on anything before then waxing lyrical on a whole range of subjects as MacNamara laps up the responses.
"Clare, you're not going to draw me on it, just well done to Limerick," said Fitzgerald on MacNamara's first probing question.
MacNamara came back, asking whether the referee had allowed sufficient extra time.
"I've got no comment to make on that....that's it," batted back the coach before giving his inquisitor an opening with: "I'm bitterly disappointed. I don't feel we deserved to lose that game."
"What do you think cost you the game then?" persisted MacNamara.
"I won't go into that," replied Fitzgerald.
"Do you think you were unfairly treated?" she pounced.
"Listen Clare, I'm not getting into that. I think it's very unfair to put me in that position."
Back came a similar grenade lobbed to Hansen: "You've had a couple of red cards recently. Do you think discipline is a problem?"
Fitzgerald sighed, paused and replied with the gem MacNamara was seeking: "I don't think we're a dirty team, that's for sure. I'm fairly certain we're not. But I can't answer that one Clare."
Social media and media gave Fitzgerald a hard time over starting the interview with a refusal to comment and then speaking widely on a whoele range of subjects.
Hansen wasn't having any of that when MacNamara went down a similar track with him following questions on the two yellow cards and high penalty count suffered by the All Blacks.
On four occasions, McNamara questioned the physicality of Hansen's men.
After trying to move the conversation on, Hansen snapped: "Do you want me to tell you we're a dirty side or something? Is that what you're saying?"
