WARREN Gatland claims there are “one or two people I would like to get into a room on their own with me” in light of the treatment he received from sections of the New Zealand media this summer.

Wales chief Gatland, head coach of the British and Irish Lions for their drawn series against the All Blacks, says he was subjected to “some pretty underhand stuff” while back in his homeland.

The Kiwi has aired his feelings on the matter in his autobiography, and it was a question, raised at a press conference on Monday, about one paragraph in particular that provoked this latest outburst.

Writing in his book, he states: “I have heard of some things about the All Blacks that could be quite explosive if they were made public, and if it does get dirty then I will raise a couple of those things. At the moment I’m just keeping my counsel.”

Quizzed on this by a New Zealand journalist at the Wales squad’s Vale of Glamorgan HQ, Gatland, whose side face the world champions in Cardiff this Saturday, replied: “Explosive is a pretty exaggerated word.

“I said I’d known things about the All Blacks and how personal some of the attacks on me were that if it needed to get dirty I'd reveal a little bit of stuff.

“That could be anything, it doesn't have to be explosive.

"Part of my role as the coach is to take a little bit of pressure and put some pressure on myself, and at times if I need to reverse it and put the pressure on the opposition.

“In the last five months certain things have been revealed about players but that happens all the time.

“One thing you learn in this job is you take the criticism and be very careful how you throw it back.

"You can’t criticise the media because you never win in that situation."

He continued: “If people think I was being paranoid about some of the personal stuff that went on daily then that's their opinion.

"I thought I was restrained in what I said and when I needed to defend the team.

“I didn't have to sling mud at the All Blacks or reveal anything that I might have known that might have potentially taken some controversy and pressure off myself or the Lions.”

He added: “There was some pretty underhand stuff going on and it was challenging.

"There are one or two people I would like to get into a room on their own with me, but that might wait for another day.”