Meads defends hosts from cheat claims

A TACKLE hasn’t even been made in the World Cup and the All Blacks are defending themselves from claims they are blatant cheats.

English-born sports columnist Mark Reason made the claims in the Dominion Post, a paper covering Wellington and the North Island, claiming half the All Blacks’ tries in the Tri Nations were secured through illegal means off the ball.

Reason lives in New Zealand but rugby icon Colin Meads led the local tirade against him.

“It was disappointing. He is getting like his father [John Reason], who was reporting in my day or just after,” Meads said.

“It’s very disappointing and now he is living in New Zealand he wants to be very careful.”

Meads said it was laughable to suggest the All Blacks set out to cheat and he had seen no evidence of the examples Reason made.

Reason’s greatest cheating claim related to last Saturday in Brisbane where he accused Richie McCaw and Keven Mealamu of pinning Wallaby flanker David Pocock for 14 seconds to open the door for Ma’a Nonu to score.

Meads concedes he was no lamb on the rugby field but said there was a difference between gamesmanship and cheating. “To come out like that and lambaste the All Blacks as cheats is damning and I’m quite upset with it. Gamesmanship has always gone on and you try and get one up on your opponent, but to be deliberately called cheats is sad.”