All Blacks legend Richie McCaw reckons rugby would be improved if the clock was stopped during scrums, to stop the massive time wasted on packing down and endless re-sets.
McCaw, who skippered New Zealand to back-to-back World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015, offered his thoughts in a Q & A session with fans on World Rugby’s social media, where he also nominated Wallaby George Smith as his greatest opponent.
Asked what rule change the governing body could implement to help the game, McCaw said: "One of the things I get a bit frustrated by is the way a scrum can eat up a lot of time in the game.
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"If I was going to change something it would be to stop the clock when awarding a scrum and it starts again when the ball comes in. You'd get quite a bit more rugby."
Studies of games have shown that even a flawless scrum takes between 40 and 60 seconds to pack down, and when collapses and re-sets are factored in, sometimes they can eat up four or five minutes.
One study indicated there could be an extra 20 minutes of play if the clock was stopped during scrums.
In terms of his most respected opponent, McCaw opted for his old Wallabies rival George Smith.
"He was pretty tough and I played him regularly throughout my career," McCaw said, adding that his favourite back row combination was playing alongside Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino.
Asked who the most inspiring and hard-working All Black he had played alongside was, McCaw nominated Dan Carter.
"The amount of work he used to put in to make sure he was right to play on Saturday meant everyone around him made sure they were doing their little bits. Having hio direct things around the field made things pretty easy as a No 7."
McCaw said he was not interested in coaching at the elite level.
"I think I'd just get too frustrated," he said.
"As a player I could get out there and do something about it. But when you are a coach I think you have to have a different way of looking at it. But I'd like to coach young kids one day."
