Rugby: The mutual respect between Sir Colin Meads, Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock

Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick. Photo / Photosport.

Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick have developed into the two best locks in the world through their toughness, durability, willingness to run the ball and, above all, their teeth-gritting unwillingness to concede a centimetre on the field. Remind you of anyone?

Sir Colin Meads was one of a kind, but the current All Blacks locks are built in his image and the pair spoke eloquently today of Pinetree's legacy and what that, and he, meant to them and the team.

And the feeling was mutual. One of the special things about Meads was his approachability. His number was, famously, in the phone book, and so it was that the Herald called on the great man in July, 2013 before the Super Rugby semifinal between the Chiefs and Crusaders in Hamilton.

It was the second Super Rugby playoff match in which the pair had come up against each other (there have been several since), and the Herald wanted to get an indication of what Meads thought of them. He didn't disappoint.

Lady Verna answered, as she traditionally did, and once Meads came in from the garden he spoke of how the duo were developing. Whitelock had made his All Black debut in 2010, three years earlier, and Retallick had made his in 2012, a year earlier. Both played their first tests in their first year of Super Rugby.

Apart from his ruthless edge, Meads was also famously very fit, and it was the athletic ability of Retallick and Whitelock which impressed him as much as anything.

"Whitelock's the all-round player, he's got everything," Meads told the Herald of one half of an All Black locking combination which will be considered as one of the best ever. "He's their go-to man from kick-offs, he's pretty keen to take the ball which is always a great sign.

"Brodie's a big rough guy who gets stuck into everything. They're different but both very good.

"They're both pretty fit young guys and they have a tremendous workrate. They can keep it up for 80 minutes if they have to."

Asked how the game had changed for locks over the years - Meads' final test was in 1971 - he replied: "They're all taller. And with the lifting in the lineouts and these sorts of things, it's changed. They make me feel small, they're all three or four inches taller than I was (Pinetree was listed at 1.92m in his playing days. Whitelock is 2.02m, Retallick 2.04m). They're big guys and athletes too, they're not plodders."

Whitelock and Retallick spoke to Meads on occasion, and both were appreciative of the time given by a great who passed away yesterday at the age of 81. That appreciation, too, was probably mutual.

"For what he did in the game and with his skillset, he was a legend of the game and he was a legend of the All Black legacy," Retallick said. "I think that's made a bit of an impact on all the boys and the team."

Whitelock said: "It was amazing when he had the ball in one hand and would run around players and run over the top of them. He played with that hard, physical edge and I think [a lot of players have followed that]. He obviously had a massive career, he played for a long time and there are a lot of players who have taken something from his game. It's been passed on from generation to generation."

None of the current crop of All Blacks were born when Meads was playing, but that link to a different era was kept alive by men such as Pinetree, and Steve Hansen's men will look to dedicate their efforts in attempting to retain the Bledisloe Cup against Australia in Dunedin on Saturday to Meads' memory.

As Retallick said: "There is a group which has done something extra special for the team and he'd be part of that group. He probably wasn't in the forefront of everybody's minds but if you went to anybody in the squad and asked them about Colin Meads and what he was about they'd be able to answer it. I think that in itself is pretty special."