Rugby: Which All Blacks will be remembered like Sir Colin Meads?

As the tributes flow for Sir Colin Meads, they highlight that there is universal agreement that he redefined not only the second row position, but also lifted the expectations for forwards in terms of athleticism and skill.

His is an incredible legacy that 46 years after he last played a test, current All Blacks - many of whom were born 20 years after Meads' was in a black jersey - know that he roamed the field with the ball in one hand and that he was equally capable of loping around like a wing or crashing over the top of tacklers.

That both Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock were able to talk with knowledge and from the heart about Meads today, was both illustrative of the impact the great man had and also a prompt to wonder whether any All Blacks of today will have similarly long legacies where they are still revered in 40-plus years?

Or to be more specific, will any of the current All Blacks be looked back upon and considered, in the way Meads did, to have redefined their position?

Fittingly, both Retallick and Whitelock are good candidates to assess as individually they must surely be considered as up there with the best locks New Zealand has produced and almost beyond question is that they are already the best combination.

But have they redefined the position? Retallick has come closest with his dual ability to nail his core roles and be such a punishing ball carrier in the middle of the field. His work rate is exceptional and while he has raised the benchmark for how much a big man can contribute, he is essentially, a modern version of Meads rather than a game changer as such.

He and Whitelock are more an extension, with a new age twist, of what Meads was doing more than 50 years ago.

Kieran Read hasn't necessarily redefined the role of a No 8, but he has shown what kind of added impact can be had by developing exquisite ball skills.

His ability to make creative passes has enabled the All Blacks to score tries no other team could. That was apparent in the fist test of the Lions series when he threw a miracle ball out of a dominant scrum and it was Read's catch and pass that set up Liam Squire for the first try in Sydney.

Aaron Smith, like Read, wouldn't be able to say he's shifted the thinking about halfbacks off the scale, but he has encouraged coaches in New Zealand to give smaller players a fair go.

Smith's legacy, on the field at least, will be that he forced coaches to get back to seeing passing as the core skill of the role.

If there is one player who may stand the test of time in the sense they are attributed with redefining their position, it could be Dane Coles.

Dane Coles is one who could be seen as redefining his position. Photo / Photosport

He'll be desperate to be back on the park this week to remind everyone that he possesses a skill-set that no other hooker in the world game does or ever has.

There have been mobile hookers in the past - good ball carriers and ball users, but none quite like Coles. Remembering that his execution of the core roles is excellent, he also tackles with the athleticism and impact of a loose forward, has the speed of a midfield back and the handling ability of a first-five.

All of that has allowed the All Blacks to build unconventional aspects into their gameplan. They often ask Coles to operate off the tail of a defensive lineout because he's so quick to get after the opposition No 10.

They also use Coles as the penultimate ball carrier from the touchline, knowing he can commit two defenders and play the ball out of the contact.

And generally, Coles is encouraged to get his hands on the ball and make something happen - instructions that are similar to those given to Ben Smith, Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie.