All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has no complaints about the decision to show Sonny Bill Williams a red card.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says there's "no point whining" about Sonny Bill Williams red card that changed the shape of the second test

Sonny Bill Williams was sent off in the 25th minute of the second test against the Lions, the first All Black sent off in a test in 50 years, the first New Zealand back ever.

He saw red from French referee Jerome Garces for a no-arms shoulder charge on Lions wing Anthony Watson, in which his right shoulder appeared to contact the head.

PHOTOSPORT Sonny Bill Williams shoulder charges Anthony Watson and is sent off.

Hansen had no quibble with the decision, though he felt it could have been a yellow.

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"The red card was a red card, if the ref says it's a red card, you don't have any say in it," he said, telling reporters the effect of the dismissal was obvious. "It was one of those ones that could have been a yellow or a red, but he chose it to be a red so you just have to live with it.

"There's no point whining about it, Sonny didn't use his arms so he put himself at risk, and unfortunately he collected young Anthony's head and put hm at risk. You don't want that and the referee deemed it a red card, so off you go boy."

When Williams departed in the 25th minute with the scores at 3-3 he was the first All Black sent off since the great lock Colin Meads against Scotland. Loose forward Cyril Brownlie was the first All Black sent from the field in a test match, against England in 1925.

NZN VIDEO Lions coach Warren Gatland shares his thoughts on the Sonny Bill Williams red card.

New Zealand won both those games with 14 men, beating Scotland 14-3 and England 17-11. This time they lost, 21-24.

Lions coach Warren Gatland described the red card as "just one of those things".

Williams had led with the shoulder, so the referee felt he had no choice, Gatland said,

"It was a significant loss for the All Blacks in terms of a key person, and we were aware of that.'

Williams will now go through the judiciary process.

Hansen said he did not consider Williams had intended to hurt Watson.

ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Sonny Bill Williams is red carded by the referee in the second test against the Lions.

Players often got involved in incidents that got them on the wrong side of the law but he did not consider they did that intentionally, he said.

He mentioned Lions prop Mako Vunipola as well, for his two hits on All Blacks first five Beauden Barrett.

He felt players never had the intent to hurt an opponent "but that's what happens".

1 of 26 DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES Owen Farrell of the Lions kicks the match winning penalty during the second test match. 2 of 26 HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES A frustrated Sonny Bill Williams left the All Blacks weakened. 3 of 26 GETTY IMAGES Conor Murray of the Lions scores his side's second try. 4 of 26 ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Israel Dagg runs with the ball. 5 of 26 REUTERS/GRAY Beauden Barrett's penalties got New Zealand on the board. 6 of 26 PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES Elliot Daly of the Lions breaks through. 7 of 26 PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES The ball and pitch were slippery, thanks to awful Wellington weather. 8 of 26 PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES A serious Steve Hansen looks on. 9 of 26 ANTHONY PHELPS/REUTERS Sonny Bill Williams walks off after being shown the red card. 10 of 26 ANTHONY PHELPS Lions' Johnny Sexton kicks. 11 of 26 HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES Referee Jerome Garces of France lectures the players. 12 of 26 DAVID GRAY/REUTERS Lions' Liam Williams in action. 13 of 26 ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Sonny Bill Williams is red carded by the referee in the second test. 14 of 26 PHOTOSPORT Sonny Bill Williams shoulder charges Anthony Watson. 15 of 26 GETTY IMAGES Kieran Read walks onto the pitch. 16 of 26 DAVID GRAY/REUTERS A Lions fan cheers from the crowd. 17 of 26 ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT The All Blacks perform the haka. 18 of 26 ROSS GIBLIN/FAIRFAX NZ Selfie time! 19 of 26 ANTHONY PHELPS/REUTERS Fans get excited before the match. 20 of 26 ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Fans brave the rain at Westpac Stadium. 21 of 26 GETTY IMAGES Warren Gatland, the Lions' head coach, looks on before kickoff. 22 of 26 HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES Dane Coles, before kickoff. 23 of 26 HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen and selector Grant Fox look snug ahead of the match. 24 of 26 PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES The two captains, Sam Warburton and Kieran Reid do the coin toss. 25 of 26 MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ The fanzone in Wellington, before the match. 26 of 26 MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ All Blacks and British and Irish Lions rugby test supporters at the Fanzone, Odlin's Plaza, Wellington.

"Things happen in the heat of the moment, players end up on the wrong side of the law ... all you want from the ref is consistency."

Under the rules of rugby, Williams could have been deemed to have broken more than one.

1. A player must not tackle (or try to tackle) an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders. A tackle around the opponent's neck or head is dangerous play.

2. A player must not strike an opponent with the hand, arm or fist, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knee(s).

3. A player must not charge or knock down an opponent carrying the ball without trying to grasp that player.

The departure of the big No 12 saw Hurricanes midfield Ngani Laumape make his test debut under the most difficult of circumstances, replacing Williams in a side that had to play the remaining 55 minutes with only 14 men.

Blindside loose Jerome Kaino was sacrificed from the forward pack in order to get Laumape on.the field, in a match played in wet and slippery conditions.

All Blacks fans put up a huge roar in the 53rd minute when Lions prop Vunipola felled Beauden Barrett with a late charge.

Vunipola stayed on, and Barrett kicked the resultant penalty. Moments later Vunipola did Barrett over again and was shown a yellow card.

When he was sent off, Meads had a reputation for 'robust' play. Irish referee Kevin Kelleher gave him his marching orders for a kick aimed toward Scotland first five-eighth David Chisholm.

The Daily Telegraph reported it as "for one with Meads' world-wide reputation for robust play, this was rather like sending a burglar to prison for a parking offence".

Brownlie was dismissed for stamping a player on the ground, after both England and New Zealand went toe-to-toe early. as The Times reported "more than one unpleasant proof that the forwards were taking things too seriously".

Referee Albert Freethy said he had warned the teams, and had no option.

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