Sir Colin Meads
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Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
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Ouch. He will be gone in weeks to a few months given his age. A terrible disease no matter how old. <br><br>
Today is so far a downer for NZ rugby -
sad news , when i first became aware of rugby and the ABs as a toddler ,<br><br>Meads was the biggest name in the game , had a very similar standing in the game as Richie
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Well, that's just shit news.
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<p>One statistic which defines greatness for me (at least for forwards) is the span of All Black career. Pinetree and McCaw weigh in with 14 years. That is the benchmark for the past 70 years. And may never be bettered. Fitzpatrick also up there with 11 years.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pakman" data-cid="605181" data-time="1470952095">
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<p>One statistic which defines greatness for me (at least for forwards) is the span of All Black career. Pinetree and McCaw weigh in with 14 years. That is the benchmark for the past 70 years. And may never be bettered. Fitzpatrick also up there with 11 years.</p>
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<p>Â </p>
<p>Mealamu must have gone close? And Nonu, albeit with a couple of years off.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="605252" data-time="1470958627">
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<p>Woodcock - debuted one week after Richie. Last test 3 weeks before</p>
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<p>Richie was 2001, Woodcock and Mealamu were on Mitchs first tour along with Ali Williams and Andrew Hore in 2002 from memory .</p>
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<p>Pinetree used to do promotional work for Tanalith and used to tour the ITM branches around the country meeting people and doing a speech over beers and a barbecue afterwards. He was a pretty good speaker and I was lucky enough to spend an hour or so chatting to him while people continuously put beers in front of him. He was knocking back  two to my one before the ex realised it was time for me to go at about 9pm, he carried on till about 3 or so at the only place that was still open which was a Kareoke bar. The next year he had a laugh about being dragged off to some den of iniquity until all hours of the night which was a bit different to the version of the story I heard in which he sounded like a more than willing participant. My old man came down the last time which was just after the 2003 rwc and we gave him a bit of stick about mentoring Martin Johnson far too well, from what he was saying they still keep in touch which is pretty cool.</p> -
<p>Never saw the guy play rugby so hard to comment on the greatest, but certainly a true NZ icon.</p>
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<p>Very much so in hilary mould too it seems, the old man was in Te Kuiti on a golf trip and was having a beer at he workingmans club. Â Meads strolls in, has a yarn to his mates for a bit then joins the old man has his mates for an hour or so. Â Before leaving as had to pick up fish 'n chips for the wife!</p>
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<p>That was only in November last year too, must have been right on the cusp of the trouble starting.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="605288" data-time="1470964707">
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<p>Â Before leaving as had to pick up fish 'n chips or the wife!</p>
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<p>After that many beers, I'd tend to opt for the Fish and Chips</p> -
<p>Apparently most of Pinetrees jerseys have been sold off in charity auctions over the years for the IHC, this article gives you an idea of his involvement with the IHC over the years <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/rise/issue-five/pinetrees-legacy.html'>https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/rise/issue-five/pinetrees-legacy.html</a></p>
