Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'I just think that England and especially Ireland have got our number'

Bundee Aki celebrates after beating the All Blacks in Dublin. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images

Former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick believes England and Ireland possess the greatest threat to ending the All Blacks’ hegemony at the World Cup.

ADVERTISEMENT

New Zealand are overwhelming favourites to clinch a third successive crown in Japan later this year but the natural order was disturbed by Ireland clinching a famous win over the Kiwis in Dublin last November.

Defeat for New Zealand came just a week after they were pushed all the way by England, who have beaten Ireland and France in the Guinness Six Nations recently.

Fitzpatrick expects both northern hemisphere sides as well as Wales – currently on an 11-match winning sequence – to shine on the global stage.

Ireland beat the All Blacks in Dublin during the autumn internationals
Ireland beat the All Blacks in Dublin during the autumn internationals (Brian Lawless/PA)

But he thinks no top-tier nation can be ruled out of contention at a tournament where none of them can boast home advantage.

The 1987 World Cup winner told Press Association Sport: “No disrespect to Japan because they can beat the big boys as we saw in 2015 (when they defeated South Africa) but it’s the first neutral World Cup in terms of the home advantage.

ADVERTISEMENT

Former New Zealand star Fitzpatrick believes the All Blacks remain the team to beat
Former New Zealand star Fitzpatrick believes the All Blacks remain the team to beat (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“The All Blacks are the defending champions, they probably are still the team to beat and I say that every World Cup.

“I always thought that the major challenge would come from the northern hemisphere and I still think that after what happened in the autumn and what’s happening in the Six Nations.

“England have really gone to another level, Ireland have real depth and to win World Cups, you need depth, and Ireland’s got that without question and so have England.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I just think that England and especially Ireland have got our number in terms of the way we play the game. They play the game similar to us.

Fitzpatrick has been impressed by England's performances in the Six Nations
Fitzpatrick has been impressed by England’s performances in the Six Nations (Gareth Fuller/PA)

“You throw those two in there along with Wales, who are on the most unbelievable winning streak at the moment, and then you’ve got South Africa and you can never write Australia off. It’s going to be hugely, hugely competitive.”

Fitzpatrick was speaking in Monaco in his role as the chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a collection of sporting talent who volunteer to support the organisation’s Sport for Good message.

Indian sport for development programme Yuwa, which uses football to empower young girls in rural Jharkhand, was announced as the Sport for Good winners, with four of its participants among those to collect the honour.

Fitzpatrick added: “That really brings it home, they’re in awe of being here.

Video Spacer

“It’s probably more inspirational for us because they do things that, in terms of sport as a power for change, that is one of the best examples that you can see.

“Football has given those girls a dream. You and I dream every day, they never, ever thought they would do anything else than be a child bride, be illiterate, so they never dreamt.”

– The Laureus World Sports Awards celebrate the most remarkable men and women from the world of sport along with their achievements from the previous calendar year. The Awards also showcase the work of Laureus Sport for Good, a charity which uses the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage.

ADVERTISEMENT

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Saitama Wildknights vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 3 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Worcester Warriors announce second signing ahead of return Worcester Warriors announce second signing ahead of return
Search