Balls.

All Blacks prop Kane Hames has stood up for fellow front-rower Joe Marler following his controversial testicle grabbing incident with Alun Wyn Jones and basically called for the Wales captain to ‘grow a pair’ and stand up for the Englishman.

Marler was cited on Monday for playfully fondling Jones downstairs following a melee in England’s win over Wales on Saturday, and if he is found guilty this week he could face a minimum ban of 12 weeks from the game.

Jones made it clear afterwards that he wasn’t happy with the incident and wanted World Rugby to step in, but Hames, who last played for the All Blacks in 2017 and is currently taking a break from the game with concussion problems, reckons Jones should stand up for his ‘mate’ having toured with Marler with the Lions in 2017.

“He needs to grab his own balls, pick them up and stick up for his mate here,” Hames told The Breakdown on Sky Sport NZ

“Because it’s his mate that he is talking about and there is a special relationship there, I definitely think there is. Alun can stop his mate from getting banned.”

Fellow All Black John Kirwan, who was a World Cup winner in 1987, agreed what Marler did was merely dressing room banter between friends.

“When I first saw it I thought they have obviously roomed together with the Lions or something because they are mates,” he said.

“It’s something that I would do to a really good mate of mine. No intent, like a tap on the arse or whatever.

“There’s no offence me. You tell me when you haven’t seen that in the changing room? I don’t think there was any offence intended. And if we say OK he gets four weeks to twelve weeks for the law… I just thought he was taking the mickey and I didn’t see any offence.”