GREGAN REJECTS HEWITT COMPARISON

They have the same diminutive stature and never-say-die fighting spirit, but Wallaby skipper George Gregan wasn`t sure today about the other qualities he was told he shared with Lleyton Hewitt.

At a press conference ahead of the Tri-Nations rugby match against the All Blacks on Saturday, Gregan was told that he had been called "the Lleyton Hewitt of rugby" by a New Zealand commentator.

Before Gregan could accept the compliment of being equated with the Wimbledon champion and world No.1 tennis player, it was qualified with: "Because you rile the crowd so much and play right to the edge".

Gregan has never gone as far as Hewitt in calling a referee "a spastic", although he has felt the wrath of the whistleblower for his trademark chatter during rugby games.

"I`ve never really given a gob-full to the crowds," said Gregan, unlike Hewitt who is still living down calling an Australian crowd "stupid" early in his career.

Gregan was labelled "arrogant" earlier this year by NSW coach Bob Dwyer and Hewitt has been called much worse.

Their defenders say it`s not arrogance but a winning attitude.

"Lleyton`s a competitive player and I really respect that about him," Gregan said.

"I think it`s amazing what he did the other day at Wimbledon, not only from a sporting point of view, but from an Australian point of view.

"Being compared to that sort of a guy is not a bad thing because he`s a wonderful Australian."