By the end of it, it had become one of the defining moments in New Zealand rugby history.<\/p>\n
Their crowning moment came on August 24, 1996, when the All Blacks produced one of the greatest performances in their history, defeating the Springboks 33-26 at Loftus Versfeld<\/a> to clinch their first test series victory on South African soil. <\/p>\n Five previous tours had ended in disappointment.<\/a> <\/p>\n Under Fitzpatrick\u2019s captaincy, however, the All Blacks finally achieved what generations before them could not. <\/p>\n It was a victory more than six decades in the making. <\/p>\n The inaugural tour in 1928 ended in a 2-2 draw. Twenty-one years later, the Springboks completed a 4-0 whitewash of the All Blacks in 1949. <\/p>\n Another opportunity came in 1960, but South Africa again prevailed<\/a>, winning the series 2-1 with one test drawn. <\/p>\n The tour was also overshadowed by controversy after the New Zealand Rugby Football Union complied with South Africa\u2019s apartheid policies by excluding M\u0101ori players. <\/p>\n More than 150,000 people signed a petition opposing the tour. <\/p>\n A planned 1967 tour was cancelled by the New Zealand Government, but the All Blacks returned three years later after New Zealand players were granted \u201chonorary white\u201d status. <\/p>\n Once again, the Springboks emerged victorious, claiming the series 3-1.<\/p>\n The 1976 tour sparked international condemnation and contributed to the boycott of the Montreal Olympics by more than 20 African nations after the International Olympic Committee declined to suspend New Zealand. <\/p>\n On the field, South Africa again won the series 3-1. <\/p>\n The Springboks also toured New Zealand six times between 1921 and 1994. The first series ended in a draw before South Africa won in 1937, while the All Blacks claimed the remaining contests. <\/p>\n The 1981 tour became one of the most divisive episodes in New Zealand sporting history<\/a>, culminating in the cancellation of the Waikato match after protesters invaded the pitch.<\/p>\n Despite those battles, one afternoon at Loftus Versfeld stands above the rest.<\/p>\n Highlighting the significance of beating the Springboks in South Africa, Fitzpatrick rates it above winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup. <\/p>\n He and Sir Michael Jones<\/a> were the only two starters from 1987 to play in the series-clinching test.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 1987, [All Blacks coach] Brian Lochore<\/a> said: \u2018It\u2019s your chance to be the first team to win the Rugby World Cup ever\u2019,\u201d Fitzpatrick told the Herald from his home in London.<\/p>\n \u201cWe played six games, won six games, and we were the world champions and then back to work on Monday. <\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t really sort of understand [the history], and there were Northern Hemisphere teams that didn\u2019t want the World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cBut in 1996, we knew exactly what we were doing. We knew the history and then to create that history was really special.\u201d<\/p>\n The day history was made in Pretoria<\/p>\n The All Blacks arrived at Loftus Versfeld with a 1-0 series lead after a hard-fought 23-19 victory in Durban \u2013 but more on that later.<\/p>\n They knew victory at one of world rugby\u2019s most daunting venues would secure a place in history.<\/p>\n The coach of the side that day, John Hart<\/a> said while every test was treated the same, everyone understood the significance of the challenge that awaited in Pretoria.<\/p>\n \u201cSouth Africa at home are a huge beast and we knew that we had to get one up to make sure we were really in the fight,\u201d Hart told the Herald.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing to Johannesburg, as it turned out, would have been a really huge task at the end of a tour, end of a year really. We knew we had to win in South Africa and so to win the series we really had to win the first two games.\u201d<\/p>\n The physical toll of a gruelling season only heightened the challenge.<\/p>\n By the second test, the All Blacks were battered and bruised, but there was no thought of saving themselves for Johannesburg.<\/p>\n \u201cPretoria came with a lot of pressure,\u201d legendary centre Frank Bunce<\/a> said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were both in the same boat, we both wanted to finish the series in Pretoria and they were determined to be able to go to Jo\u2019burg and I think they would have been pretty confident.<\/p>\n \u201cBy that time, we were training I think once a week because everyone was battered and bruised and we had the midweek stuff going on.<\/p>\n \u201dThe mindset really was that we needed to finish it in Pretoria. It was just a time when that was all that mattered, you just had to give everything you had.”<\/p>\n From the opening exchanges, it was evident the match would be played at a frantic pace, with both sides prepared to attack from almost anywhere.<\/p>\n The Springboks struck first when Hannes Strydom crashed over in the corner, although Joel Stransky\u2019s conversion attempt struck the upright.<\/p>\n New Zealand\u2019s first chance to respond disappeared when Simon Culhane pushed a penalty wide, but the miss proved inconsequential.<\/p>\n From the ensuing dropout, the All Blacks launched a counter-attack. Justin Marshall sliced through the defence before the ball found winger Jeff Wilson<\/a>, who crossed for the opening try.<\/p>\n A Stransky penalty restored South Africa\u2019s lead, but Wilson answered with one of the great tries of the series.<\/p>\n From a scrum inside the All Blacks\u2019 half, he burst into space, chipped over Andr\u00e9 Joubert, regathered and raced away to score. Culhane converted to put New Zealand back in front.<\/p>\n After another missed Stransky penalty, the All Blacks struck again just before halftime.<\/p>\n From a scrum close to the line, Marshall combined with Bunce before No 8 Zinzan Brooke<\/a> finished a clever wraparound move.<\/p>\n Stransky kicked a penalty on the stroke of halftime, but the All Blacks still held a 21-11 advantage.<\/p>\n Culhane extended the lead with an early penalty after the break before Stransky missed his third shot at goal.<\/p>\n The momentum then swung dramatically. Ruben Kruger and Joost van der Westhuizen crossed within five minutes to drag South Africa back to within a point.<\/p>\n Stransky had the chance to give the Springboks the lead, but for the second time his kick cannoned into the upright.<\/p>\n Then came the moment that won the series. From the restart, the All Blacks secured possession before earning a penalty about 40m from goal.<\/p>\n Fitzpatrick initially wanted Wilson to take the kick, but Jon Preston, who had moments earlier replaced the injured Culhane, insisted he wanted it. He never looked like missing. <\/p>\n \u201cI was fortunate with the first one because that was my first touch of the ball after I\u2019d come onto the field, so I didn\u2019t have a hell of a lot of time to think about it,\u201d Preston told the Herald.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re on the bench, particularly in those days, we only really came on when someone was injured. <\/p>\n \u201cSo you just sit there and then all of a sudden, bang, there\u2019s an injury and you don\u2019t have much time to think about it, you\u2019re on, you\u2019re into it.\u201d<\/p>\n Stransky reduced the deficit to a single point with a penalty in the 73rd minute. Then, with five minutes remaining, the All Blacks won another penalty just inside their own half.<\/p>\n Once again, Preston stepped forward. Once again, he delivered. <\/p>\n \u201cThinking back, they were the biggest kicks of my career,\u201d Preston said.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely felt some nerves at the start, but once I got into the game and played a bit of footy, then you\u2019re a bit more in the groove. <\/p>\n \u201cProbably because the other one was longer, there was slightly less expectation.\u201d<\/p>\n Hart still has a nickname for Preston: \u201cThe Cleaner\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exactly what I expected of him,\u201d Hart said. \u201cHe is so calm and we chose him because he could play nine and 10.<\/p>\n \u201cWe lost Andrew Mehrtens<\/a> before the second test, and when Culhane went off we were very lucky to have someone like Jon come on.<\/p>\n \u201cHis calmness and his ability to help us through that challenge … because that last 20 minutes was one of the most ferocious 20 minutes I\u2019ve seen in any rugby game.\u201d<\/p>\n Brooke added a late drop goal to stretch the lead to seven points, but there was still time for one final Springboks assault.<\/p>\n Wave after wave of green jerseys crashed towards the line until South Africa found itself less than a metre away.<\/p>\n Rather than spread the ball wide, the Springboks continued to pick and drive before being held up over the line.<\/p>\n For a brief moment, nobody moved. Then referee Didier Men\u00e9 blew his whistle. The All Blacks collapsed to the turf in exhaustion.<\/p>\n After almost seven decades of trying, they had finally conquered South Africa on its own soil.<\/p>\n Bunce admitted there was one moment in those frantic closing seconds when he feared the series might still slip away.<\/p>\n \u201cRight at the end of the match where everyone was just throwing themselves around and I think myself and Walter Little<\/a> were right by the post, and we had maybe one person outside of us, so had they decided to spin it wide all of a sudden we might have got caught out.\u201d<\/p>\n When the whistle blew<\/p>\n Hands rested on knees while others simply collapsed to the turf in exhaustion before the thought of celebrating crossed their minds.<\/p>\n \u201cHistory has been made. The players are exhausted. What a game we have seen,\u201d commentator Keith Quinn said.<\/p>\n The entire All Blacks forward pack had started every test that year, playing virtually every minute, and the physical toll was unmistakable.<\/p>\n The celebrations were subdued at first. It took a few moments for the magnitude of what had been achieved to sink in.<\/p>\n Hart said two moments have stayed with him ever since.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got guys like Fitzpatrick, Zinzan Brooke, Olo Brown, they\u2019re just lying on the ground, they\u2019re all devastated, they\u2019re absolutely shattered, they\u2019ve given every inch they could,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n \u201cThen coming off the field to show just what we were, a haka led by Jonah [Lomu]<\/a>, Eric Rush, Carlos Spencer, Todd Blackadder, that was pretty special and that showed just exactly what we\u2019d gone out to achieve, that we were one team and that one team performed on and off the field that day.\u201c<\/p>\n The haka performed by players who had not featured in the test \u2013 affectionately known as the \u201cdirt trackers\u201d \u2013 remains one of the defining memories of the tour.<\/p>\n Preston said it was among the biggest talking points when the squad reunited 30 years later.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was certainly an overriding memory and I think the whole group got on really well on that tour and was able to have a lot of fun as well as do the job on the field,\u201c Preston said.<\/p>\n As the celebrations continued, the players walked towards the changing rooms, where another moment brought home the significance of what they had achieved.<\/p>\n Waiting in the tunnel was former All Blacks fullback Don Clarke<\/a>, a member of New Zealand\u2019s unsuccessful 1960 tour, who had waited 36 years to see an All Blacks side conquer South Africa.<\/p>\n Clarke, known as \u201cThe Boot\u201d for his renowned goal-kicking ability, had later settled in South Africa with his family.<\/p>\n \u201cHe hugged me, tears rolling down his face, and thanked me for doing something that no other All Black has ever done, to win a test series in South Africa,\u201d Fitzpatrick said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said he can die a happy man, which sums up the All Black feeling behind it.\u201c<\/p>\n For Hart, Clarke\u2019s reaction illustrated how much the victory meant beyond the players who had won it.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayers like Sean Fitzpatrick and Zinzan Brooke really understood the history, but a young player like Christian Cullen<\/a> didn\u2019t have the same appreciation,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we came off we ran into Don Clarke, who was in the tunnel crying because it was something he had dreamed of.<\/p>\n \u201cWe introduced him to Christian Cullen, which was quite a moment really. I think that brought home to Christian just how significant that win was.\u201c<\/p>\n Hart also invited the travelling New Zealand media into the dressing room to share the occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was quite a special thing to do to allow the media into the room because it was an iconic moment in New Zealand rugby history,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team were absolutely shattered, but it didn\u2019t take too long before everyone realised what they had achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n The foundations of history<\/p>\n While Pretoria was the crowning moment, the foundations for the All Blacks\u2019 historic series victory had been laid months before a ball was kicked. <\/p>\n After losing the World Cup final the previous year, Fitzpatrick had contemplated retirement, but was convinced to stay on. <\/p>\n \u201cWe knew \u201995 was a missed opportunity, and I was thinking of retiring,\u201d Fitzpatrick said. <\/p>\n \u201cKevin Roberts, who was on the board, said, \u2018You have to come back here next year and be involved in the first All Blacks team to win a series in South Africa\u2019, so that was the motivating factor. <\/p>\n \u201cJohn Hart and I caught up in January and he took me through what his plans were, asked me if I was fit and available and, if I was playing well enough, whether I\u2019d be interested in captaining the team. <\/p>\n \u201cThat was just a dream come true really in terms of having the opportunity to go to South Africa on a tour, have the opportunity to be the first team to win a series.\u201d <\/p>\n When Hart was appointed coach, he was told winning in South Africa was non-negotiable. Nothing was left to chance. <\/p>\n Hart and former All Blacks manager Michael Banks travelled to South Africa four months before the tour to inspect training venues and logistics. While such planning is commonplace today, in the first year of the professional era it was anything but. <\/p>\n Hart also fought hard to take a 36-man squad, outlining a plan to operate with two teams \u2013 one for the tests and another for the midweek tour matches.<\/p>\n Bunce believes that decision proved pivotal. <\/p>\n \u201cI take my hat off to John Hart because had he not fought to be able to take an extended squad … the New Zealand Rugby Union didn\u2019t really want us to, but he fought for it. Had he not done that, we wouldn\u2019t have won. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no way you can go there with basically one team and get through, because the provincial games were tough as anything, the travel, everything about it.\u201d <\/p>\n After the inaugural Super 12 season, the All Blacks opened their international campaign with victories over Western Samoa and Scotland before the inaugural Tri Nations. <\/p>\n The first meeting with South Africa at Lancaster Park was a tight affair, with Andrew Mehrtens kicking five penalties in a 15-11 victory. <\/p>\n Back-to-back wins over Australia secured the Tri Nations title before the All Blacks headed to South Africa. <\/p>\n Although not officially part of the series, many within the squad viewed the final Tri Nations test in Cape Town as the beginning of the tour, particularly after a midweek fixture against Boland Invitational XV. <\/p>\n The All Blacks claimed a 29-18 victory at Newlands, a result Fitzpatrick believes gave the side enormous belief. <\/p>\n By this point, Lomu, who had been a star at the World Cup the previous year<\/a>, had found himself out of the test team with lingering injuries, alongside the early warning signs of a severe kidney disorder, which was not known at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were playing against the best team in the world and in their backyard so that was the challenge,\u201d Fitzpatrick said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe played in Cape Town for that last Tri Nations game. We knew we wanted to really win that and stamp our authority and make a real statement.\u201d <\/p>\n Hart agrees the significance of that victory is often overlooked. <\/p>\n \u201cI think we knew we had to win in South Africa and so to win the series we really had to win the first two games,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n \u201cThey were all crucial. The Tri Nations one was crucial, that was a really important game. I think winning that game in Cape Town set us up because we knew then that we had the capacity and capability to go with them physically and take them on. <\/p>\n \u201cCape Town was more important than people realise.\u201d <\/p>\n The road to Pretoria really began a week later in Durban. The opening test at Kings Park was viewed by many within the squad as the make-or-break match of the series. <\/p>\n Victory would take the pressure off heading to Loftus Versfeld, while defeat would likely leave them needing to win at Ellis Park \u2013 South African rugby\u2019s spiritual home.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest thing really was not wanting to go one-all to Ellis Park to try and win the decider,\u201d Bunce said. <\/p>\n \u201cSo a big thing was we take out the first one and we finish it. We win the test series in Pretoria because we don\u2019t want to end up at Ellis Park, which is like a temple, a shrine for South African rugby. <\/p>\n \u201cThat was the big motivator, I think.\u201d <\/p>\n The All Blacks did exactly that, grinding out a 23-19 victory, highlighted by Brooke\u2019s memorable try that began with a Walter Little clearance kick. <\/p>\n \u201cWe just knew going to altitude \u2013 and altitude in those days was still quite a new thing for us \u2013 it was just a must-win test and that\u2019s when we knew we\u2019d have to win at Loftus also, because going to Ellis Park one-all was going to be a mountain to climb,\u201d Fitzpatrick said.<\/p>\n Durban had opened the door. Pretoria ensured the All Blacks walked through it and made history. <\/p>\n Exhausted after sealing the series, the All Blacks barely trained before drawing 18-18 with Griqualand West in their midweek match and falling 32-22 to the Springboks at Ellis Park.<\/p>\n Hart opted to reward the players who had carried the side throughout the season with the opportunity to complete a clean sweep, although he admits, in hindsight, it may not have been the right decision. <\/p>\n The only change he made to the starting side was bringing back Mehrtens, who had missed the previous two tests through injury. <\/p>\n \u201cI looked at it and said, \u2018Well I\u2019ve got to give this team the chance to go right through and go unbeaten for the year\u2019,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n \u201cIn hindsight that was a mistake because there were three, four, five players who were absolutely shattered and, while they all wanted to play, I think it might have been better to have brought some fresh legs in for Johannesburg.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd also you can\u2019t help but understand that there was, for some, one foot on the plane. We\u2019d won the series, that was the whole focus of what we\u2019d come to do and psychologically I think that made the last game difficult as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Bunce has no regrets.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re between a rock and a hard place there as a coach,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cDo I stay loyal? Do I try and make changes? We\u2019ve won the series, what are we trying to do, a clean sweep? <\/p>\n \u201cI think everything was done right and I\u2019ve got no regrets. Yeah, we lost, but it didn\u2019t matter in the great scheme of things.\u201d<\/p>\n Where does 1996 rank in All Blacks history?<\/p>\n Perhaps the greatest measure of the 1996 series is how those who lived it still rank the achievement three decades later. <\/p>\n Fitzpatrick set the tone at the outset, declaring the triumph in South Africa sat alongside \u2013 if not above \u2013 winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup on home soil, alongside Jones.<\/p>\n While every member of the squad took a different path to South Africa in 1996, the common thread remains the same \u2013 creating history remains one of the defining moments of their rugby lives.<\/p>\n For Hart, the 1996 series victory remains the pinnacle of his coaching career, although one other achievement comes close. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s two moments in my career that I will always cherish and that would be the best, it has to be because it\u2019s the pinnacle of the game,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n \u201cBut also, Auckland winning the Ranfurly Shield in \u201985 in that \u2018Game of the Century\u2019<\/a> was a pretty pivotal moment in my career as well.\u201d <\/p>\n That 28-23 victory over Canterbury launched Auckland\u2019s record 61-match Ranfurly Shield defence<\/a>.<\/p>\n Preston\u2019s role in the series was limited until his heroics in Pretoria, but the tour still ranks among the finest achievements of his career. <\/p>\n He places it alongside the All Blacks 1993 series victory over the British & Irish Lions<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cAt the World Cup [in 1991], we got beaten in the semis, so that was the disappointment, but for me personally, because I wasn\u2019t a No 1 starter in a World Cup and we didn\u2019t win it, the South African tour victory would rank ahead of that for me personally,\u201d Preston said.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably beating the Lions, because I played against the Lions in \u201993 in New Zealand and that series win there as well. <\/p>\n \u201cThose two rank ahead for me because it\u2019s when you\u2019re on the field and playing more of a part and you end up the victors, that\u2019s probably a bit more memorable. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to have gone to the World Cup in \u201995<\/a> but I missed out on that one. But then had the pleasure and the privilege of being involved in that \u201996 tour and victory over there.\u201d<\/p>\n Bunce believes the significance of the achievement has grown with time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely up there,\u201d Bunce said. <\/p>\n \u201cTouring for any length of time, especially in South Africa, is a real challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d just come off quite a heavy load domestically and then had to go over there and do that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut also to be the first team, which is something that you kind of forget, we were the first team that ever won a test series over there as well.<\/p>\n \u201cSo there were all manner of things going on, but definitely a huge achievement and something I look back on with a lot of pride and fondness.\u201d<\/p>\n Can the 2026 All Blacks win in SA?<\/p>\n Dave Rennie\u2019s All Blacks squad<\/a> will have the opportunity to write its own chapter in one of rugby\u2019s greatest rivalries when its six-week tour begins on Saturday. <\/p>\n New Zealand will play three tests against the Springboks in South Africa before meeting them again in Baltimore.<\/p>\n The All Blacks will also face each of the four United Rugby Championship franchises, starting with the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.<\/p>\n Before departing, members of the 1996 side met with the current squad to share their memories of the tour that changed All Blacks history.<\/p>\n Among the messages was a reminder that tours of South Africa are unlike any other challenge in rugby. <\/p>\n Winning a single test is difficult. Winning a series demands not only talent, but planning, resilience and a squad willing to sacrifice for one another.<\/p>\n Many of Rennie\u2019s players were not born when Fitzpatrick led the All Blacks to glory, but the significance of that achievement remains as powerful today as it was three decades ago.<\/p>\n As the stories flowed, one match repeatedly took centre stage \u2013 the decisive second test in Pretoria, where the All Blacks finally conquered South Africa on its own soil.<\/p>\n Since rugby entered the professional era, traditional tours have largely disappeared, although the British & Irish Lions still tour every four years and are due back in New Zealand in 2029.<\/p>\n With the Springboks set to tour New Zealand in 2030<\/a>, there is hope that extended tours between rugby\u2019s greatest rivals will again become a regular part of the international calendar.<\/p>\n Hart recently caught up with Rennie before the squad departed and said the two discussed the similarities between the 1996 tour and the challenge awaiting the current All Blacks.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was keen to learn about our experience, even though it was 30 years ago, because there are so many similarities between this tour and our own,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe talked about how we prepared, particularly with effectively having two teams \u2013 a test team and a midweek team. <\/p>\n \u201cOurs was slightly different because we had eight games in four weeks, with a midweek game before every test, but the key messages were all about planning and preparation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did things back then that probably hadn\u2019t been done before. We took 36 players because we knew if we were going to win a series we couldn\u2019t have the test players backing up in the midweek games.<\/p>\n \u201cI said to Dave that our planning and preparation before we even arrived in South Africa was probably the key to our success, but the other key factor was that, while you effectively had two teams, you were always one team.<\/p>\n \u201cThe test side helped prepare the midweek side, and the midweek side helped prepare the test team. That unity was one of the biggest reasons we were able to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Hart believes tours are something the game has been missing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe New Zealand-South Africa rivalry is probably the most special rivalry to us,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople talk about the Bledisloe Cup but, in reality, I think from the players\u2019 perspective, playing against South Africa is the ultimate.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tour coming up, you\u2019re playing against the world champions, you\u2019re playing against a side that\u2019s got incredible depth and we\u2019ve got a new team going over with new management, new philosophies.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to see the tour and I\u2019m excited to see the potential that the squad brings and particularly under the direction of Dave Rennie<\/a>, who I think has already changed things dramatically within the All Blacks camp.\u201d<\/p>\n Preston is equally excited.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t wait personally and I know so many people have been hanging out for this,\u201d Preston said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like a tour, I don\u2019t believe. The World Cup has been as close as we get, but that\u2019s a different ball game because you\u2019re not playing the same team over a few weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to it so much, particularly because it\u2019s a South African team that is so strong at the moment and how difficult it has been historically to beat them over there.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to get into a tour and watch the All Blacks progress through it, with the midweek games and then knowing you\u2019re going to face South Africa week after week, just brings a different level of interest and excitement for me personally.\u201d<\/p>\n Bunce believes the current All Blacks have every chance of creating history of their own.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re all looking forward to it and they\u2019ve got a really good vibe,\u201d Bunce said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re working hard and got some good people in there and I think it\u2019s going to be an awesome tour.\u201d<\/p>\n Fitzpatrick will be heading to South Africa for the three tests, although he is unsure whether he will travel to Baltimore.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be quite happy sitting in the stands knowing what it takes to get a win down there,\u201d Fitzpatrick said. <\/p>\n \u201cJust to win down there, I know how difficult it is. I can\u2019t wait. I think it\u2019s a great idea.<\/p>\n \u201cThese guys, they\u2019ve got an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n If the All Blacks reign supreme, Fitzpatrick may have his own Don Clarke moment \u2013 embracing a new generation aiming to write their own piece of history.<\/p>\n All Blacks fixtures for Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry tour 2026<\/p>\n Saturday, August 8: v Stormers, DHL Stadium, Cape Town (5am).<\/p>\n Wednesday, August 12: v Sharks, Kings Park, Durban (5am).<\/p>\n Sunday, August 16: v Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (5am).<\/p>\n Sunday, August 23: v South Africa, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (3am).<\/p>\n Wednesday, August 26: v Lions, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (5am).<\/p>\n Sunday, August 30: v South Africa, DHL Stadium, Cape Town (3am).<\/p>\n Sunday, September 6: v South Africa, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (3am).<\/p>\n Sunday, September 13: v South Africa. M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (9am).<\/p>\nMichael Jones leads the All Blacks out on to the field in Pretoria in what was his 50th test. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Jon Preston kicks a penalty goal during the All Blacks’ win over the Springboks in Pretoria. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
The All Blacks celebrate their win over the Springboks in Pretoria. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
A haka is preformed by the non-playing All Blacks after their win over the Springboks. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Sean Fitzpatrick and John Hart in the sheds after the All Blacks’ win over the Springboks. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
From left: Walter Little, Glen Osborne and Frank Bunce celebrate after the All Blacks beat the Springboks in Pretoria. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
The All Blacks during a training session in Cape Town. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Jonah Lomu in action against Western Transvaal. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Frank Bunce and Jon Preston. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
The All Blacks celebrate after beating the Springboks in Pretoria. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Sean Fitzpatrick celebrates the All Blacks win over the Springboks in Pretoria. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Left to right: Gordon Hunter, John Hart and Ross Cooper. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea with Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n