Sir Brian Lochore mourns loss of great mate Sir Colin Meads, onfield and off

By Jake Beleski

They played together on the world's great rugby grounds, and when they quit the game they stayed firm friends.

Now Sir Brian Lochore is coming to terms with the loss of his mate Sir Colin Meads.

Speaking from Fiji, Lochore said: "It's still quite devastating news to know that one of your best mates has passed away. I'm sad about that - he was a good mate."

Colin Meads (left) and Brian Lochore practise arm-wrestling in the All Blacks' Sydney hotel in 1968.

Both players were brought up in small unions and had never given any thought to representing anyone else, and that was something they were proud of, Lochore said.

For 24 of the 25 tests Lochore played for the All Blacks, his close friend "Pinetree" Meads was right there alongside him. Lochore said he played all but one of his tests for the All Blacks alongside Meads.

"That was when he broke his arm in South Africa and I ended up taking over his position at lock.

"He started a bit earlier than me and finished a bit later, but all the games I played, apart from one, he was part of it."

They had stayed in touch through the years, even though they lived in different parts of the country. The news had not come as a shock given Meads was ill, but it didn't make it any easier to deal with, Lochore said.

"We've always been a pretty close unit, and our families know each other pretty well - it's a sad day."

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