Howley praises New Zealand welcome despite 'unsavoury incident' at restaurant

British & Irish Lions coach Rob Howley says the tourists are treating an incident in which team manager John Spencer was the subject of a drunken assault as isolated and disappointing but not representative of the wider experience in New Zealand, writes Simon Lewis in Auckland.

Spencer, 69, had been dining with his wife and family in a central Auckland restaurant on Wednesday night when a fellow diner began verbally abusing his party.