Sean Fitzpatrick issues a warning to the All Blacks ahead of the Twickenham test
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Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick has issued a warning to the All Blacks stating that "anything can happen at Twickenham".
Judging by his personal experiences there he is not wrong!
Fitzpatrick, the legendary All Blacks hooker and captain who has spent his post-playing years living in England, believes Steve Hansen's side are in "good shape" but is intrigued by the new-look England team and the Twickenham factor.
"It's been an interesting year for the All Blacks. We've lost a game, which isn't normal, but I think the team is in good shape. There is a lot of depth in the squad, and a lot of the young guys have had a lot of test minutes, which is going to be hugely beneficial at the World Cup next year," Fitzpatrick wrote in a column for The Guardian.
"You'd like to think the guys will have another win to celebrate at Twickenham this weekend, but with all the new players in the England team it's hard to know what to expect. As I learned, at Twickenham anything can happen."
Fitzpatrick doesn't remember his times at England HQ in a black jersey too fondly.
"When I play golf, my favourite courses are the ones I've played well on. It's the same with rugby: my favourite ground in the world is Loftus Versfeld, because we won a series there. I like grounds where the fans are very close to you, like Newlands or Loftus. I used to love Cardiff Arms. Twickenham's got some mixed memories for me, but it's certainly one of the iconic grounds of the world," he wrote.
Fitzpatrick's first appearance at Twickenham was in the All Blacks' 21-10 win over the British Barbarians in 1989.
"In those days England were quite different to us, in terms of the way they scrummaged, the way they packed the ruck, the line-outs. So we had to do a lot of specific preparations for that game," he remembered.
When he returned to Twickenham as skipper in 1993 "England were a different prospect."
The All Blacks lost 15-9 in a test where no tries were scored. Fitzpatrick described his team under coach Laurie Mains as a "developing" side who played well against Scotland the week before but "lacked a bit of experience" against a large and physical England outfit.
Fitzpatrick said it was a learning experience that would help them moving towards the 1995 World Cup where they reached the final and for their triumphant tour of South Africa in 1996 amidst one of the most dominant periods of All Blacks rugby.
"That match was a real turning point for us. Looking back now, it was a game that showed us what we needed to do if we were going to be competitive going forward. It hurt at the time, for sure. That day just happened to be the reunion of the 1983 and 1973 teams who had beaten the All Blacks also, so the dinner that night was hard work," he wrote in The Guardian.
"But we remembered that, and some of the comments we got that night, and going forward the mantra was, 'Remember 93'. The next time we played England was in the semifinals of the 1995 World Cup, and going into that match we spoke a lot about what happened at Twickenham in 1993. We didn't lose that one."
Fitzpatrick's last visit to Twickenham as an All Black was in 1997 when a knee injury that eventually forced him into retirement saw him sitting in the stands watching a 26-all draw unfold.
"It was a new experience, and one I didn't find easy. I've had a lot of practice since, and I'll be covering this year's game for Sky – I'm a lot more comfortable now with being a spectator. The crowd was very passionate, very loyal, and these days I enjoy the atmosphere at Twickenham."
