Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick believes New Zealand must target victory over the Springboks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, insisting success in South Africa could provide the ideal foundation for a 2027 Rugby World Cup triumph.
The All Blacks will travel to South Africa next month for a demanding tour that includes matches against all four United Rugby Championship franchises before four Tests against the reigning world champions.
Fitzpatrick eyes Rugby's Greatest Rivalry success
New Zealand will face the Springboks twice in Johannesburg, once in Cape Town and then in the final Test in Baltimore on 12 September in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
Fitzpatrick, who was the captain in the famous 1996 All Blacks tour of South Africa, believes winning this year's contest should be the team's primary objective.
"I think it is very important for World Cup preparation," Fitzpatrick told IOL.
"My point of view is that this is a wonderful opportunity to win a series in South Africa.
"If I was captain, I would be talking about that, and if we do that, the World Cup will take care of itself."
He added that winning a four-Test series would require the same squad depth needed to lift rugby's biggest prize.
"You are going to need 30 to 40 players to be victorious over four consecutive Saturdays to win this series, and that is exactly what you need to do in a World Cup."
Springboks remain the team to beat
While Fitzpatrick believes both coaching teams will have one eye on next year's World Cup in Australia, he acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing New Zealand.
"The World Cup is obviously in the back of Dave Rennie's mind, as is the case with Rassie Erasmus," he said.
The former hooker also had high praise for the Springboks, describing them as the benchmark in international rugby.
"South Africa are quite clearly the best team in the world at the moment, no question.
"I say that not only because of their performances on the field, but because of the depth that Rassie has created.
"Let us see how the Boks handle the pressure of being number one."
The four-Test Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series is expected to be one of the biggest tests for both sides ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
