All Blacks legend reveals why facing Springboks in South Africa beats a Lions tour as the ‘most difficult challenge’ in the game
Ex-New Zealand scrum-half Justin Marshall (inset) and Aphelele Fassi and Will Jordan in action during a Springboks v All Blacks Test.
Justin Marshall has highlighted the importance of the All Blacks’ upcoming tour to South Africa and described it as “probably the most difficult challenge that you put the boots on for”.
New Zealand will head out to South Africa early in August with the All Blacks facing all four of the United Rugby Championship (URC) clubs before three Tests against the Springboks in Johannesburg and Cape Town, with Baltimore hosting the fourth and final Test on September 12.
There is plenty of excitement and expectation ahead of the All Blacks’ visit to South Africa which has been dubbed as the “Greatest Rivalry” tour.
All Blacks and Springboks rivalry stretches back to 1921
The All Blacks and Springboks have been battling it out at international level since 1921 when South Africa drew a Test series in New Zealand. Since then, the arch rivals have faced each other in 12 series, with New Zealand and South Africa hosting six of those apiece.
The Springboks clinched their only series victory on New Zealand soil in 1937, while the All Blacks had to wait until 1996 to claim that momentous achievement in South Africa.
Marshall was part of that historic All Blacks tour in 1996 and has little doubt that facing the Springboks in South Africa is the toughest challenge in rugby union.
“I’ve said this before and I say it because for me it’s factual, which is, as an All Black, it’s probably the most difficult challenge that you put the boots on for and equally whether you’re the coach as well, to go to South Africa,” he told The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
Andy Rowe, who is the podcast’s host, then asked him: “Bigger than the Lions? Bigger than the Lions series, you reckon?” to which Marshall replied: “”Yeah, I think so because the advantage of the Lions is they’re at home.
“You’re in your own environment, you’ve got control of (the situation), you’ve got basically the majority of the crowd there, they bring a lot with them, but to go to South Africa in their conditions, with their passion for the game, and to go back-to-back-to-back-to-back in four Test matches on the bounce with those provincial games, like what South African rugby player who doesn’t get to pull the Springbok jersey on doesn’t want to have a crack at the All Blacks?”
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Expects tough encounters against the URC sides as well
Marshall, who represented New Zealand as a scrum-half in 81 Tests between 1995 and 2005, said apart from facing the Springboks in four gruelling Tests, the clashes against South Africa’s URC sides would also be tough encounters.
“So, like everybody’s playing their Test match in those provincial games, so you get bashed around in those as well,” he explained.
“But that’s why you play the game, that’s why you coach the game, to have those opportunities to go and test yourself against the toughest environment, the most competitive situation you’re ever going to get yourself put through and go: ‘Righto, this is why I play, this is why I coach’.
“Taking on a challenge that daunting is what gets you out of bed big time to be a professional rugby player or a professional coach, man, that’s the ultimate.”
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