WELLINGTON (Reuters) - All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has defended their decision to stay at the same Sydney hotel where they reported the discovery of a listening device in the team meeting room ahead of last year's test against Australia.
Hansen's comments came as Adrian Gard, a security consultant used by the All Blacks, faced a court hearing in Sydney on Monday on a charge of public mischief involving the discovery of the device at the Intercontinental hotel at Double Bay last August.
Police have alleged Gard made a false claim by reporting the bug had been found.
Gard, who was arrested in February, pleaded not guilty to the charge in March.
The All Blacks will stay at the hotel next week in the leadup to the opening match of the Rugby Championship against Australia and Hansen shrugged off reporters' questions about the decision.
"It's a good hotel," he told a media conference in Christchurch on Monday after naming his 33-man squad for the Rugby Championship.
"There are potential bugs in every hotel. Even your one."
Gard had worked with the All Blacks on security arrangements for over a decade before his arrest in February and had also provided protection services for former U.S. President Bill Clinton and other celebrities.
Hansen confirmed the All Blacks were working with the same firm that managed their security during last year's visit to Sydney and also reiterated his belief that Gard was innocent.
The New Zealand Rugby Union waited a number of days after the device was discovered before alerting Australian police and making a public announcement on the morning of the match against the Wallabies.
The delayed announcement angered the Australian Rugby Union, who blamed the All Blacks for the "distraction" that the media attention created for both teams.
The hearing, which continues at Sydney's Downing Centre court continues, on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
