TARARUA SPORTS AWARDS

ANENDRA SINGH
THE late Queen Mother is in. So is Crusaders coach Robbie Deans and his not-often-used prop, Wyatt Crockett.
On the outer are Graham Henry, Murray Mexted, Ali Williams in a Spiderman's suit and all in sundry nutritionists and dieticians.
That's pretty much a safe snapshot of Colin ``Pinetree' Meads, the former All Black who was voted the greatest rugby player of the century in 1999.
Guest speaker at the Infracon Sportsperson of the Year Award at Pahiatua on Thursday night, the 71-year-old shared some candid moments with the audience at Stadium Pahiatua just before Black Cap Michael Mason etched his name in the supreme award.
Not too impressed with the modern-day All Blacks' constitution, Meads said ex-All Black Wilson Whineray was greatest influence in his life.
Paying tribute to the women at the awards night, Meads said the Queen Mother ``was the greatest lady I ever met' in 1963 when Queen Elizabeth ``was with child'.
``The old bird came with two corgis behind her, and me being a farmer thought: `Dogs in the house',' he told the amused guests.
Questioning the contemporary All Blacks' dietary advice, Meads recalled the time when a shapely nutritionist met the hall of farmer's disapproval.
After her advice on cutting out the carbohydrates, meat and sugar, Meads discreetly explained to her that he used to have steak and eggs for breakfast, tea with eight spoonfuls of sugar and cold-cut meats and mashed potatoes, with a healthy dollop of butter, for lunch before test matches. The nutritionists replied: ``Colin, you don't know how good you could have been.'
Sir Brian Lochore, Meads said, might disagree but passion for rugby in New Zealand had certainly dwindled. When six of his mates who had season tickets to the Chiefs games after the World Cup said ``stuff it, we're not going to any more games', the writing's on the wall.
``You put that right across New Zealand and there are not too many people going to rugby because of our World Cup [campaign],' Meads said.
``We've got to persevere and keep winning every game and be more organised.'
He said Wallabies coach Deans deserved to be All Blacks' coach and incumbent Graham Henry let the country down. ``The sad thing about it is that there will be record crowds at the Aussie-New Zealand games but it'll just be a battle between half the New Zealanders, particularly Canterbury will be back in Australia and it's going to create problems.'
A tactical and shrewd coach, Meads reckoned Deans had the best tighthead prop in Crockett.
``I think Robbie keeps him off the team so he won't get in as an All Black. I probably shouldn't be saying that.'
While Kelt Capital Magpies in the Hurricanes squad weren't getting much game time prop Clint Newlands was making a name for himself with the Highlanders.
Players were losing track of loyalties and All Blacks should play for the country for at least five years.
``Players like Justin Marshall demanded more money and led a player revolt so they placed pressure on the NZRU.
``For hell's sake if Justin wasn't a rugby player he'd have been a timber worker at the bottom of the South Island, let's be honest.'
Mexted's stupid mistakes, he said, didn't make new rules any easier to decipher.
It's vital to keep grassroots rugby alive, Meads said.