IRB Rugby World Cup
Steven Hansen hits out at 'bloody boring' lineout drives after All Blacks beat Argentina
ESPN Staff
July 17, 2015
Manuel Carizza
Manuel Carizza© (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has called on World Rugby to make it harder for teams to exploit "bloody boring" lineout drives.

Hansen was speaking following the All Blacks' impressive 21-point win over Argentina, which saw the South Americans score both of their tries from such drives.

Lineout drives have become potent attacking weapons for teams with big packs, and although Hansen does not want to see them removed from the game altogether, he would like to see a "fair contest".

"I think it's illegal obstruction," Hansen said, adding he expected South Africa to employ the same tactic when the All Blacks play the Springboks in Johannesburg next weekend.

"The easiest way is to say you can collapse it. There's never been anyone injured in a collapsed maul yet and there's thousands of them every week that get penalised.

"So make it legal (to collapse a drive) and then it becomes half pie a fair contest. One of the charters of the game is everything's got to be a fair contest and I don't believe lineout drives are."

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw acknowledged massed forward drives were something he relished but concurred with his coach that something should be done to ensure an even contest.

"The big boys up front, when we get the chance at it, we rub our hands together and you've got to make sure you have a way of stopping it as well," he said.

"There's no doubt as we go on this year there's going to be a fair bit of it I'd suggest."

© ESPN Staff

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