South africa win fitz well

By Simon Hayes on July 24, 2007 12:00 AM

RUGBY fever might be set to sweep the nation this autumn but for one New Zealand legend the World Cup is all a bit of a sideshow.
Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick spoke exclusively to The Wharf about the tournament and made a surprising admission.
"I'm not really a World Cup fan," he said. "In rugby a team should be the best for 12 months of the year, every year. In other sports they find that out every four years but I would hate that to be the case in rugby union.

"I want the All Blacks to be the best year in, year out. Our biggest thing is always to win the next game. Having said that, there's an expectation this year that we will win it and it's high time we did, although there's no guarantee. But as long as people think we're the best team in the world it doesn't really matter to me."
Fitzpatrick was speaking at the launch of an investment banking operation by EA Consulting Group in Marsh Wall last Thursday (July 19).
The World Cup starts in France in September with New Zealand overwhelming favourites, 20 years after their only success.
Fitzpatrick, 44, was hooker in that 1987 team and, with 92 caps, went on to cement his place as one of the game's all-time greats. He thinks England, under coach Brian Ashton, will struggle to defend the Webb Ellis trophy won in Australia four years ago.
"England have to win their group to have a chance of going further," he said. "They've got a lot of work to do because they are way behind the top sides. I don't think they'll win it. The best they can realistically hope for is a semi-final place.
"South Africa and New Zealand probably know their best XVs, whereas poor old Brian has got maybe four or five players pencilled in, which is difficult two games out from the World Cup.
"When you look at 2003 they had the team settled throughout the year before and consistently won games.
"I think the final will be between New Zealand and South Africa. The teams that do best always have a great captain and a great number 10 and both sides have that."
Fitzpatrick named a surprise as his outside bet for the competition. He said: "If I was a betting man I'd have a few quid on Argentina as dark horses. They've got a good pack and might surprise a few people."
If the World Cup is relatively low on his satisfaction scale, what ranks as the highlight of a hugely successful playing career?
He said: "It was fantastic to win the World Cup but for me personally it was winning a series in South Africa in 1996, which we'd never done before. We had a really complete team and were undefeated.
"Those sort of things mean more to me than winning the World Cup." simon.hayes@wharf.co.uk
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