If you had to describe the ultimate New Zealand rugby player to a non-rugby fan and use one player to support your argument, would Sir Colin Meads best represent your case?
Yes, in my opinion anyway. There would be support for the Richie McCaw’s, Dan Carter’s and Jonah Lomu’s of the modern rugby time, but I would suggest that Meads is more the complete package.
The modern-day players’ biggest fallibility is their link to professionalism and a gradual distancing from hardcore rugby fans. Meads typified the link between a high-profile player and his community rugby club, meeting your hero was a great inspiration.
For those of a certain vintage, you can name All Blacks or provincial players you met at an after-game function at your local club and still remember the occasion today. They were like gods and if you were not so tongue-tied, may have had a decent conversation with them.
There is a feeling that professionalism has created a gap between the local rugby community and the pro player, unlike back in the Meads era where All Blacks were more visible in the community through work and social activities.
What are the chances of catching a glimpse of a pro player today, apart from viewing them on pay television?
Not having known Meads, I would suggest he would have been happier playing in the amateur era rather than as a professional player.
Gaining fitness and strength through work like farming was preferable to working out in a gymnasium. His warm-ups before a game relied upon the haka and there were no dieticians to scrutinise what a player ate before a match.
Former All Blacks coach and player, Brian Lochore quipped that today’s players hydrate before a game whereas those in their era drank after the game.
Meads was known to work so hard on the family farm, that he looked forward to the rugby season for a rest. It was a myth that he ran over the hills of his farm carrying a sheep under each arm.
Meads was the stereotypical New Zealand rugby player with humble, self-deprecating and reserved characteristics.
An NFL showman would be the complete opposite. Loyalty also being a prominent virtue of a player from that time. Meads typified the strong, rugged and uncompromising player from the 1960s and 70s.
Yes, he did transgress at times. Australians may interpret that in stronger terms after the well-documented Keith Catchpole incident.
New Zealand’s Colin Meads emerges from a loose maul with the ball in a Tour Match between London Counties v New Zealand at Twickenham (Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
Only those who saw Meads play regularly would confirm if he was the instigator or the one who responded to provocation.
He was reported to have punched British Lion David Watkins and Welshman Jeff Young in matches and was sent off in 1967 versus Scotland for dangerous play. If Meads was playing today the TMO would have earned his salary from watching him alone.
According to Roar writer Geoff Parkes who grew up in the King Country (New Zealand), “he was a tough bastard on the field, and I saw him and his brother Stan do some pretty unsavoury things to people who they thought were causing them trouble.”
But there was another side to Meads and examples of this were shared at his funeral in 2017 with his brother and fellow All Black locking partner Stan Meads saying Colin was “as soft as butter” who raised considerable funds for charities.
A hard man who once knitted a scarf and balaclava and who read Cat in the Hat to his children.
NZ Rugby chairman Brent Impey said in the NZ Herald: “It goes without saying that Sir Colin is one of New Zealand’s special treasures – both as an All Black, but also as a great example of what it means to be a New Zealander. What we love about Sir Colin is that despite the international recognition and praise heaped on him, he just considers himself to be a guy from Te Kuiti.”
It is pointless to compare players from different eras, but I can never resist it. A player with Meads’ attributes would have been a superstar in today’s game.
Of course, he may not have stood up to the scrutiny, the social media attention and modern ways but with his strength, ruggedness and athleticism would have been an esteemed player. How many players today do you see running with the ball in one hand swatting off defenders?
A man who played on the wing for the All Blacks and as a loose forward and who kicked a drop goal for his beloved King Country.
For many, we can only remember Meads through YouTube highlights, but he appeared to be a fearsome runner with ball in hand demonstrating great ball skills.
If you compare elite-level All Blacks from today and yesterday based on their old-fashioned rugby values, New Zealand pride, community support, ability as a skilful rugby player, all-round good guy with family values and choose the quintessential player, there is only one option, Sir Colin Meads.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
So true sheek as it was Buck Shelford that put the Mana back into the Haka. & as it should be!
sheek
Roar Guru
Muzzo, I'm sure you've seen the ABs perform the Haka before the Babas game in 1973. An absolute joke to what it became later on.
sheek
Roar Guru
Peter Darrow, Thanks for this, agree with pretty much all the sentiment. I find it instructive that today's pro players can rack up 100 tests, 100 super games, but otherwise their bio is as dull as rocks. Reading the bios of yesteryear's Wallabies, they were farmers, bulwarks of their communities, specialist doctors, successful businessmen, they fought in wars, won bravery awards & some of them died. There were even the outstanding dual internationals - both a Wallaby & a Kangaroo. It would be much the same story for NZ & other countries pre-professional.
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
— COMMENT DELETED —
Blink
Roar Rookie
My father took me to Lancaster Park to watch the All Blacks play I think it was Oz in a sea of mud when I was about 5 to 7 so around 1962. I got his autograph after the game which amazed me. If I was playing now I would hate those circumstances, the crowd on the field trying to slap your back and praising you. He was way beyond caring. I think he hit Catchpole in that game who attempted a late tackle. I think Russell Fairfax played that day who was the Oz wonderkid who a 65k crowd turned up to see. It was all standing then, on the south side anyway.
Wig1
Roar Rookie
That's a bit rough muzzo, born in Nelson Irish and Scott's and English Grant parents. My great great great ? Grand mother was first pakeha woman or white to sail through the OLD cut Nelson.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
That’s your opinion which you’re entitled too as I. As I said the highest award in Aotearoa is the Order of NZ, to which McCaw accepted rather than a Pom award. His view, as mine, we’re Kiwi’s NOT Poms !
Wig1
Roar Rookie
David Cody what was he thinking, obviously sized up too much on the day. But most of us loved the biff if you didn't play hard to win you were a slim coated powder puff I guess
Wig1
Roar Rookie
And then we had supposed villans sent home from tours, If I new Keith was only slightly north of me in wa I would of loved to make the effort. Classic example of someone in disgrace mode sent home for stuff all allways sounded like political in HQ nz
Wig1
Roar Rookie
There's team enforcers and the rest jump in. Wasn't it great back then. I can't remember big timber but if he smashed a forward pack he obviously was a loose unit you wouldn't want
Wig1
Roar Rookie
Hahaha, in indo when we had 3rd child the December before covid the wife voluntarily suggested we sterilisation while her 3rd c section, She was happy she finally had boy king. On the notar it cost 1 mil= 100 bucks. They won't do it in these parts. Indo can be very hard and very easy at times and a bit of corupsi can be very helpful over the years :laughing:
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
They must be my wife has mine in a jar.
Wig1
Roar Rookie
Any animals mountain oysters are a delicacies
Daffyd
Roar Rookie
Acually Muzzo.. British rather than Pom. According to the Wikipedia entry on Meads; In the 1971 New Year Honours, Meads was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to rugby. He was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to rugby and the community, in the 2001 New Year Honours. In the 2009 Special Honours, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government, Meads accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) As far as I can make out, Meads has been "knighted" twice. First with the British for the MBE and then knighted by New Zealand for KNZM. (According to Wikipedia: New Zealand Order of Merit & There are a number of current (Sir) Knights and Dames with Kiwi honours that use the Sir and Dame titles.) Anyway, the point is Australian Rugby prefers to select 'hard men' along the lines of marshmallows-- rather than lifesavers. And Bristow was as hard as they come. It would have been an interesting match-up. Cheers!
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Haha as NZ doesn’t knight it’s it’s hard men as you suggest, in fact they don’t knight anyone, if you knew the set up! That is a Pom award, as the highest award for anyone in Aotearoa is the ‘ Order of NZ’, awarded there!
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Try reading my responses above where I have apologised for my mistake AN!!
Daffyd
Roar Rookie
It's interesting isn't it.... New Zealand will knight its 'hard men", while in that same era, Australian Rugby hands out a life ban. I have on occasion wondered what Australian rugby might have been ,if instead of giving a life ban to Tim Bristow, he'd been first picked in the Wallabies and given the opportunity to be Australia's enforcer. For those that don't know, or have never heard of Tim Bristow, "Big Tim" was larger than life, and he was a genuine 'hard man", and a whole lot more. He was not a man to mess with. Tim Bristow was given the life ban for knocking out 8 forwards on the opposing team. All 8. I'm unsure as to what the game was -- whether it was a Gordon club game or a rep game. I believe the ban occurred in '62 - which was the same era as Sir Colin "Pinetree" Meads. As a hypothetical, I doubt that 'Piney' would have ridden roughshod over the Australian team in quite the same fashion if the Wallabies had an enforcer like Bristow and more importantly, may well have set an entirely different tone for Australian rugby going forward. But we'll never know.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
I know an Australian girl who went to the USA cattle country chasing her boyfriend. They had prairie oysters on the menu so she ordered a dozen.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Is that like prairie oysters?
Wig1
Roar Rookie
I'm from Nelson 67