New Zealand and South Africa are arguably the two greatest rugby nations of all time.  Both are visiting Scotland this month to take on Frank Hadden’s men at Murrayfield.

Winners of the inaugural World Cup in 1987, though they have failed to win it since, the New Zealand All-Blacks are without doubt the world’s most recognised and respected rugby team.

Their (all) black kits, pre-match Haka war dance and, most of all, incredible rugby skills also makes them the most feared team on the planet.  Names like Sean Fitzpatrick, Zinzan Brooke, Jonah Lomu and Dan Carter are as well known in international sporting circles as Olympic medallists and FIFA World Cup winners.

Meanwhile, South Africa are the men who have taken winning when it counts to a whole new stratosphere.  They have won two (1995 and 2007) out of the five World Cups they have entered (they were banned from the 1987 on grounds of international diplomacy), a ratio unparalleled in rugby. 

So, as the teams touch down in Scotland, In The Winning Zone were fortunate enough to speak to two of the men who have won those World Cups with their respective countries, All-Black legend Sean Fitzpatrick (winner in 1987), and current IRB World Player of Year, South Africa’s Bryan Habana, who was a member of last year’s triumph over England in France.

Fitzpatrick, winning 92 caps (55 as captain) for New Zealand, is one of world rugby’s most legendary figures.  He is regarded  as one of the greatest players of all time, for his leadership qualities and hard-as-nails persona on the pitch. 

Habana, meanwhile, is possibly the most famous rugby player in the world today – as well as the fastest.  Though he raced against a cheetah in a charity promotion, it is on the pitch where his shredding pace does the most damage. 

Here’s what the heroes had to say to ITWZ:

Bryan Habana

Can sport change the world?

Definitely. I think sport is one of the most unifying factors ever. Seeing the enjoyment that not just people, but kids, get out of sport can really change the world.

Having won the World Cup and gone back home, it’s amazing to seeing little kids' faces light up when you walk past in the street, kids running behind the bus for six or seven kilometres. These little black kids who don't even know what rugby's about.
I don't think there's anything more unifying in the world than sport. If we as sporting personalities can go out there and make a difference and change lives it's something that can be very good for the world.

Did South Africa winning the World Cup in 1995 change the mentality of the nation?

It's definitely changed South Africa. Winning the World Cup in 1995 for the first time was a big thing.

I was a little youngster who didn't know what the game of rugby was. Francois Pienaar and his team changed that for me. The minute they lifted that trophy I wanted to go out there and do the same.

Having won it again has brought a big excitement and a lot of energy back home. Hopefully we will be able to channel that energy and excitement correctly into making a better South Africa and hopefully a better Africa as well.

Sean Fitzpatrick

What are the key factors to building a successful team?

I think the culture of the organisation is something we talk about a lot in New Zeland – sustaining a culture of success.  And we talk about the success we’ve had and the failures we’ve had, and then building up a team that is just totally focused on winning, playing the best players week in, week out. 

And honouring the jersey with what it deserves.  Our goal hasn’t changed in the last 120 years – to be the best team in the world and win every game we play.  We talk about that a lot.

How does a winning team keep winning?

Well you enjoy your success and then you park it.  We talk a lot about our failures and why we failed.  I think some of the teams that have failed because they enjoyed their success for too long.  We don’t really talk about that. 

For me, when people ask me what the most ‘memorable’ game I had for the All Blacks was, I say that without question that it was in 1993 when we lost to the British Lions.  That was the worst game I had for them, and I think about it a lot because I never want to go back there.

And the luxury of being involved in a team environment is that you are forever challenging each other to do better, and to do everything you can to win.  And if you see another team member slacking, you jump all over them like a rash, and make sure they change their attitude. 

And when you are in a down and out, like after the Lions game, what do you do to make sure you come back stronger?

Well you’ve got to re-evaluate.  We lost the World Cup in 1991 and we just had to go away and re-evaluate who we were. 

We had to be brutally honest and say, actually, ‘”We’re not the best team in the world, I’m not the best hooker in the world, and I’ve got to start again.  I’ve got to be fitter, I’ve got to be faster, I’ve got to be stronger.  I’ve got to respect the jersey because I lost my respect for it.’  All those things.  It’s about being honest.

I’m not a huge fan of having mission statements written on the walls, but at the end of the day we say at the All Blacks that it’s a 24/7 job; once an All Black, always an All Black.  All the same things you have at home in terms of value, respect, honesty, you have them at work too. 

RO
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