Willie John McBride on the day he whacked his great friend Colin Meads, and what came next

Legendary Irish forward Willie John McBride has recalled the day he took on Colin Meads, sending panic through the ranks.

Meads and fellow lock McBride were the giants of their rugby age, but the 77-year-old Irishman told Radio Sport he wasn't all that aware of Meads when they first clashed during a test in Dublin.

"He liked to test younger guys out and being of Irish temperament, I didn't take too well to that," McBride told the Radio Sport Breakfast, a day after the 81-year-old Meads passed away.

"I think I let him have one. I gave him a bit of a lash and he ended up on his backside.

"One of our players grabbed me and said 'Do you realise who you've hit? Oh my God you've hit Colin Meads - now we're all dead.'".

McBride - who played a combined 80 tests for his country and the Lions - and Meads became great friends, staying at each other's homes. McBride last saw Meads during the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, but kept in touch and particularly over the past year when the great All Black was ill.

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McBride described Meads as an "honest player" with a personality at odds with his hard man image on the field.

"There were no yellow cards...you had to sort out your own problems (in that era)," said McBride, who also described Meads' dismissal during a test against Scotland as "stupid".

"No matter how hard he had been knocked down or roughed up he would always bounce up and be back in your face.

"Colin was the real All Black because he was a winner...he would always say 'as long as we win'. He was one of the 80 minute players.

"On the field he literally gave everything...in many ways he was different off the field and always a joy to be with."

McBride fondly recalled being able to get to know Meads after their playing days, "when we weren't knocking the lights out of each other".

"He always gave time to sign autographs, for young people, to talk about All Black rugby and what it meant to him.

"And he always had a great presence when he walked in a room. He enjoyed great respect around the rugby world.

"But I don't think he ever really converted to the professional game today. I think his love was for the old amateur game."

Fellow All Black great Sir Brian Lochore, who played all but one of his 25 tests alongside Meads, said being such a huge public figure could be "pretty wearying". But Meads never appeared daunted by that.

"There are times when you want to disappear into the darkness, sneak away, but he never gave that impression," said Lochore.

Lochore said that team mates knew Meads would always win the duel with his opponent.

"You never had to worry about that particular position," he said.

"It may have taken time but at the end of the day he would win that battle."