The British and Irish Lions are annoyed over foul
play claims by Australia A coach Eddie Jones, raising the temperature heading into their rugby tour game on Tuesday night.
Jones, who takes over from Rod Macqueen as coach of the Wallabies in October, hassignalled a "fourth Test" in Gosford after three ridiculously easy lead-up tour victoriesfor the Lions.
The ACT Brumbies coach angered the Lions when he accused them of numerous off-the-ball incidents in their 42-8 win over Queensland in Brisbane last Saturday.
Jones was in no mood today to backtrack on his comments, saying he wanted fair interpretations applied in the game.
"The reason for making those comments was to hopefully make sure in tomorrow's game and the rest of the tour there's no off-the-ball incidents," he said.
"We're just expecting them to be very physical up front, we're looking forward to atough confrontation."
Lions manager Donal Lenihan was in no mood to be conciliatory today as he replied to Jones's claims. "Obviously with the comments coming out from their coach, whether he's trying to fire them up or whatever he's doing the stakes have risen since Saturday night," Lenihan said.
"How we could be accused of causing the problems on Saturday night is beyond me."
Lenihan questioned Jones's motives behind his accusations and calls to the New Zealand referee Paul Honiss to watch for any Lions' transgressions.
"You've got to make up your own mind as to why this is coming out," Lenihan said. "Whether the comments are being made to try to influence the referee, I don't know."
Lenihan, a second-rower on the 1989 Lions tour of Australia which was marked by on-field violence, denied the Lions had any plan to unsettle the Australians as they did so successfully 12 years ago in their 2-1 series win.