Meads: Rugby rules are 'bloody ridiculous'

Sir Colin Meads. Photo / Christine Cornege

Celebrated All Black Colin Meads says he is bewildered by rugby's laws saying they are frustrating for players and bemusing for spectators.

Meads is especially unsure about rucks and rolling mauls and said breakdown penalties were not given for the same infringement, it seemed to depend on which side had the ball.

"I get upset with the law where they can knock fellas over without the ball and that's legal,. It takes the word sport out of it. It's not sport if you are trying to knock some fella over that hasn't got the ball."

Rolling mauls were a similar mystery for the 78-year-old Meads, who was the centrepiece of the All Blacks during his 15-year career.

Meads thought they should be allowed to drag mauls down.

"The rules are bloody ridiculous, players don't know what's going on."

Meanwhile Meads said he likes the impact from Hurricanes lock James Broadhurst and can see him being chosen as backup to the key talent in the World Cup.

Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock were the premier picks for heavy-duty internationals but others were chasing hard.

"There's one down in the Hurricanes, Broadhurst who has come on this year," Meads said. "He's not a youngster, he's been around a few years but he's the guts of the Hurricanes' forwards and he's still going at the end of 80 minutes."

He impressed as a hard-working, no-nonsense lock who would keep churning out quality games through the season.

Many of the younger outside backs had been eye-catching in their work while Ardie Savea was another Hurricane playing terrific rugby this season. He and other loosies were keeping everyone, including national captain Richie McCaw, on full alert.

Was Meads concerned McCaw had suffered concussions; should he continue his career? It certainly triggered some anxiety and memories of others like former All Black captain and NZR chairman Jock Hobbs who seemed to sustain heavier knocks.

"Jock was a brilliant player and a brilliant guy but you don't want to see Richie - he's too good a guy for something to happen and I'm sure with the experts that he will be checked out thoroughly and I understand he is ready to play again."

The modern medical checks and advice were much more stringent than in his days on the field. Meads recalled being knocked out once, as a teenager, after a head clash and did not think he was ever concussed again.