'We just haven't got big people like South Africa': Ex-captain on new All Blacks

Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick has identified the fly-half position as a potential “issue” for Scott Robertson’s side ahead of their trip to Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on Saturday to face England.

With 10 Test matches played so far this year, there is still not much certainty who the All Blacks’ preferred fly-half is, with Beauden Barrett looking to have usurped Damian McKenzie as the first choice in the final match of The Rugby Championship this year.

Speaking to RugbyPass at a pre-release screening of Lomu: The Lost Tapes (released this week), the 92-cap All Black was unsure who was going to wear the black No 10 jersey in London on Saturday, throwing Stephen Perofeta’s name into the equation as well.

England coach Steve Borthwick on the importance of winning close matches

Steve Borthwick on what he learned from the narrow defeats to New Zealand in the summer.

England coach Steve Borthwick on the importance of winning close matches

Steve Borthwick on what he learned from the narrow defeats to New Zealand in the summer.

“Potentially ten’s an issue for us,” Fitzpatrick said. “McKenzie played on Saturday [against Japan] so I doubt whether he’s going to start on Saturday. Barrett’s the other option. We’ve got Perofeta, he may get an opportunity at ten.”

For Fitzpatrick, this is all part of Robertson’s process though in his first year at the helm.

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In a year where the All Blacks have lost three matches already, the former hooker admitted that a “few holes” have been discovered in their game, but this was always going to be a painful teething process as Robertson tested who is “good enough” to make the grade.

“I think we’re going through a stage of trying to give players experience,” he said. “We’ve lost a lot of experience, so I think what the coaches are trying to do is expose players to different situations to see if they’re good enough. We’ve played the world champions twice in South Africa, we’ve played England twice, played Argentina, played Australia, and there’s a few holes that have been found.”

In an Autumn Nations Series where the All Blacks will face world number ones Ireland six days after England, followed by France and Italy, as well as All Blacks XV fixtures against Munster and Georgia, the former Blues captain expects plenty of rotation over the coming month.

Fortunately, he likes what he sees in various departments, particularly the front-row, where the All Blacks’ depth could prove beneficial in November.

While the All Blacks have significantly less experience than the team that ran out in the World Cup final this time last year, Fitzpatrick has been impressed by the next generation coming through and believes they can spearhead a new style.

Six-cap back-row Wallace Sititi was pinpointed as the “athlete” that can usher in a new era for the All Blacks and counter the physical dominance that the world champions South Africa appear to have over them. With that in mind, he would like to see a back-row featuring both the 22-year-old and Ardie Savea.

“They’re trying to play a game that’s less contact, less impact in terms of collisions,” he said. “They’re trying to create space. We just haven’t got big people like South Africa, so you need to develop a game that’s going to take it away from them. I think that’s what they’re trying to do, they’re trying to create these athletes. Sititi is not a big guy, but good feet, big engine.”

Switching his focus to the All Blacks’ opponents, Fitzpatrick is expecting a “real Test” in south-west London, but believes his compatriots have one crucial thing in their favour heading into the match having played last week.

He said: “I think it’s gonna be a real Test. We saw in the summer that England have got some really good talent coming through, they’re developing well, I think Borthwick’s trying to get the right mix. I think the Premiership is a really, really good place to develop the players and it’s a good watch, with lots of good kids coming through.

“Playing at Twickenham is never easy and I think the one thing we’ve got in favour is we’ve had quite a few games already, whereas England this is the first game of the autumn.”

Fitzpatrick, the narrator of the new documentary on the great Jonah Lomu, was joined by Brian O’Driscoll at the screening.

The former Ireland captain features in the documentary as both a guest and in footage of one of the late winger’s trademark runs.

Speaking at the screening, O’Driscoll said: “I was lucky enough – well, unlucky enough – to play against him on three occasions. On one occasion, my first time, when New Zealand did a play that I knew was coming, 10 to 12, behind 13 to Jonah, and I knew it was coming and I tried my very best, I really did, but I was nothing more than a speed bump in the road for him.

“He was different to anything we’d ever seen before ’95 and I don’t know if we’re ever going to see anyone make such a huge difference to the sport. You hear his ex-wife Fiona talk about individuals who are synonymous with their sport – Bolt, Beckham, well Lomu is definitely the big name. Antoine Dupont is probably trying to undo a little bit of that but for me, Jonah Lomu was just a different level.”

Jonah Lomu in his own words, for the first time 🔥

Get a new fascinating insight into one of the greatest to ever play the game.

📺Watch Lomu: The Lost Tapes on Quest and @discoveryplus from Thursday 31 October pic.twitter.com/t0ZX9Tc7dH

— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 24, 2024

Lomu: The Lost Tapes premieres free-to-air on Quest at 11pm on October 31^st, and is available to view on TNT Sports 1 on November 1^st and to stream on-demand on discovery+ from November 2