Sean Fitzpatrick ‘comfortable’ about All Blacks’ chances against ‘tired’ Springboks ‘who have their backs to the wall’
Springboks Franco Mostert and Handre Pollard with an inset of All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick.
Legendary All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick says that Scott Robertson’s team will be desperate for a win over the Springboks, who are looking ‘tired’ ahead of the clash at Eden Park on Saturday.
The former hooker is ‘quite comfortable’ about New Zealand’s form heading into the fixture despite the round two defeat to Argentina in the Rugby Championship, with the All Blacks still topping the standings.
Fitzpatrick was the last All Blacks captain to taste defeat at Eden Park, falling to a 20-23 defeat to France in 1994 with New Zealand going on to remain unbeaten in the 50 Tests that followed.
All Blacks are desperate
That record will be put on the line against the Springboks for the first time since 2013, and the former skipper says that Robertson and his charges will be eager to keep that unbeaten streak alive.
“There’s a bit of history at Eden Park, and we feel comfortable there. We haven’t lost there since I was captain in 1994, believe it or not,” the 62-year-old said on the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin.
“It’s a two-Test series, that’s how I’d look at it, and we’re coming off a loss against Argentina, so we will be desperate for sure.”
While Fitzpatrick still expects the All Blacks to win every Test match that they play in, he admits that isn’t realistic in the modern era, pointing to the improvements that Australia and Argentina have made recently.
In the last year or two, the former front-rower sees Los Pumas as one of the best teams in the world while the All Blacks continue to improve under Robertson’s tutelage.
“You and I need to change our mindset because we are developing a team for the World Cup. I think last year they made real progress in doing that,” he explained.
“Look at our forward pack, Tamaiti Williams and Fabian Holland – these names are going to be crucial for us to be successful in Australia in two years’ time. So, I’m quite comfortable. What a lot of people will know, being rugby experts, we are in New Zealand, Argentina is probably the best team in the world, in terms of their performance over the last two years or 18 months.
“In the way they have developed their team, they’ve beaten the Lions and South Africa. I think we are in a fairly good place. We do need depth in a few positions, and the guys are learning.
“I said to Scott Barrett last year after his first year as captain that during my first year, I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t like or enjoy it, but you just develop every year, and you get better. I think we are getting better, and it’s just going to take time. In world rugby at the moment, the top five teams are as good as each other. Anyone could beat anyone at the moment, which is great.”
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Standards for New Zealand and South Africa
Zoning in on the current state of affairs in the Rugby Championship, Fitzpatrick believes that the Springboks are up against the wall but adds that they will be fired up to take on the All Blacks at their fortress.
He also praised what Joe Schmidt has done at the Wallabies.
“If you look at the Rugby Championship, as a fan, I love what Australia is doing at the moment. They were phenomenal during that Lions series. I think Joe Schmidt has done an amazing job,” he added.
“The South Africans have got their backs to the wall, they’re looking a bit tired, but I’m sure at Eden Park, we’ll see two teams that are desperate for a win.”
He adds that Springboks and All Blacks’ fans are very much alike in the way that they set incredibly high standards for their teams.
“South Africans are the same as New Zealanders; when they lost that Test to Australia after going 22-0 up, the Springboks fans were on their case without question. As Joe Schmidt said, ‘We poked the bear,’ and you saw them in Cape Town,” Fitzpatrick said.
“That’s why the All Blacks and South Africa year in year out are so good, because people like you and I and the fans, we demand wins.
“I remember Brian Lochore handing me my first jersey, saying to me, ‘Congratulations, you’re now All Black number 871. You are expected to win.’
“I love that. You and I are expecting the All Blacks to win. We expect them to win on Saturday. So long may that continue. The All Blacks don’t go into a Test match thinking they’re going to lose or they’re going to try a new nine or a ten.
“So Scott Robertson knows that if they lose, the pressure is going to become insurmountable eventually. It just wears you down. Look at us in 1992 when we were losing.”
New Zealand Rugby pathways
Still, he is pleased with the development of the All Blacks squad, singling out rookie lock Holland yet again after being mightily impressed by the second rower.
“I want the All Blacks to win every game, nothing has changed, but I appreciate that we need to develop talent… I still want the All Blacks to win every game, without a question, but they’re not giving away caps because the Fabian Hollands of the world have come through a pathway,” he added.
“I saw Fabian play last year in Montpellier for the All Blacks XV, he came on and played 15 or 20 minutes at the end, and I was like ‘Wow, where did this kid come from?’ I had never seen him before.
“Back in my day, we had one Test All Blacks, the guys that play Test matches are there for the long haul, and that’s all down to the pathway of New Zealand rugby, which is doing a great job.”