You can go back 100 years and in all that time, the true measure of the All Blacks has been how they perform against South Africa. It has always been seen as the ultimate test and I still have vivid memories of the 1996 tour when New Zealand won a series in South Africa for the very first time. I don’t think it has changed much and if anything, the fact that the South African teams no longer compete in Super Rugby makes it all the more special.
Talking to people back home there is genuine belief that New Zealand can get the better of South Africa once again. It is only 18 months ago that this team was on the ropes, there were calls for Ian Foster to be sacked and for Scott Robertson to be parachuted in but the coaching staff have stuck to their principles, the players have performed well and at the right time.
