New Zealand completed their first training session in South Africa with a clearer idea of how tough it will be to achieve only their second series victory on Springbok soil next month.
Only Sean Fitzpatrick’s 1996 All Blacks have come away from the tough, rarefied conditions of South Africa with victory and with the Tri-Nations won, the team are treating the two Tests, starting with Saturday’s at Loftus Versfeld, as a mini-series.
”Very rarely do we get to come over here and play a couple of games in a row. We’re treating this like its own little series,” fullback Leon MacDonald told the New Zealand Press Association.
”Back in 1996 the All Blacks won their first series over here and we’re treating it the same way. We would like to try and achieve a series win as well.”
The All Blacks last won on South African soil with the 52-16 drubbing in Pretoria in 2003 but defeats in Johannesburg the following year and Cape Town in 2005 have left a strong desire to complete the Tri-Nations campaign unbeaten.
The All Blacks, who looked vulnerable in Saturday’s 34-27 win over Australia in Auckland, are on a 14-match winning streak since the 22-16 loss at Newlands last year.
”Even though the Tri-Nations is finished, there’s a lot for us to achieve over here. We’ve lost here the last two years in a row so there’s still plenty of motivation,” MacDonald said after Monday’s first run-out since arriving from New Zealand.
”If you get a win here, you know it’s hard earned. It’s always a bit of a dogfight and you never come out of a game here feeling too flash afterwards.
”Your body’s always pretty beaten up and I’ve never had a comfortable flight home after playing in South Africa,” he added. – Reuters