Scorecapping: former All Blacks speak out for and against

Richard Loe (left) and Marc Ellis. Photos / File

For Scorecapping:
Richard Loe
All Black 1986-1995
49 tests

In my era when I was in the Glenmark under 11s to under 13s our team wouldn't have had a try scored against it.

Our team had Bruce and Robbie Deans in it, Andy Earl and a few of the other Earl brothers and myself in it and one day we lent Andy Earl to the opposition and that was the only try scored against us that year.

I coach under-11 and under 13 and we have had situations where we rotated the kids we take off. I think it's totally unfair to take good kids off because you try to encourage kids to be the best they can and you take them off the field because they are too good but I think this has happened for years. If you are up 50 points half time, even back when my kids were playing you would ask 'who wants to go and play for the opposition?'

Bad teams can improve up to 500 per cent while a good side that's thrashing everyone might only improve just four or five per cent. Winning all the time by big scores you will not improve

You can see the merit in it, without the NZRU doing it I think good clubs and good coaches have already done it in some way and not under any directive.

Against scorecapping:
Marc Ellis
All Black 1992-95
8 Tests

Former All Black winger Marc Ellis, who once scored a record six tries in a 145-17 thrashing of Japan, says the policy was a "ludicrous" attempt to protect children from reality.

He said children would not learn the skills they needed to succeed after they left school if they were shielded from disappointment.

"That's the kind of weak-wristed thinking that's the bane of New Zealand society... it's protecting people from themselves - it's protecting them from realities they need to find out.

"The real tragedy is I've never met a kid who doesn't have a talent, an x-factor.

But someone like myself who struggled at maths - should I always have got a C when I deserved an E. Where does it stop? Those knocks are a part of life."

A similar rule would never be implemented in Australia, Ellis said.

"You see it in cricket, where they're win at all costs and I don't care if I'm seen as a prick. That's part of the cut-throat sporting world.

"I'm in favour of competition. It gives you the reality of where you sit."