All Blacks outsmart the rules, says France assistant coach - November 9, 2006

The All Blacks push the rules of rugby to the limit thanks to the indulgence of the referees, France assistant coach Jacques Brunel said.

"The All Blacks try to outsmart the rules and the referees on set-pieces and rucks and they benefit from a lot of indulgence," he told journalists at the team's training camp in Marcoussis, south of Paris.

Brunel said head coach Bernard Laporte and manager Jo Maso would raise the point when they meet the referees before the two tests against New Zealand, on Saturday, in Lyon, and a week later in Paris.

"It's not the referee who is giving the calls Crouch, Stop, Engage at the scrums. The All Blacks impose their own rhythm. They don't bend properly and then go straight from Stop to Engage," he added.

Brunel also argued that the All Blacks were illegally disturbing their opponents at the five-metre line-outs.

"They catch the legs of the jumper so it's impossible to develop a rolling maul," he said.

New Zealand's 41-20 win over England confirmed that New Zealand's loose forwards were infringing the rules in the rucks, coming in from the side and preventing their opponents from releasing the ball quickly, he added.