The two rugby legends discussed the lessons they learned as captains ahead of the Springboks’ final home Test before the series moves to Baltimore.
Johannesburg, South Africa (04 September 2026) – The Greatest Rivalry is about more than what happens for 80 minutes on a rugby field and two men who know the pressure of it better than most recently sat down to talk about exactly that.
Former Springbok captain John Smit and former All Blacks skipper Sean Fitzpatrick shared the stage for a conversation around leadership, pressure, team culture and the lessons that come with captaining two of rugby’s most storied nations.
Their experiences come from different eras, but there were plenty of similarities in the stories they told.
Fitzpatrick reflected on his time as an All Black. His philosophy was that good people could be turned into great All Blacks.
“It took us three years. So that’s how it started with good people make great teams.”
Smit’s journey into leadership was different. He spoke about growing into the role while navigating the expectations and pressures that came with wearing the Springbok jersey, particularly during an era when South African rugby was still evolving.
He also reflected on the diversity within South African rugby and how that shaped his approach to leadership.
For Smit, one of the biggest responsibilities of a captain was creating calm when everything around the team started to unravel.
He used the image of a dark room to explain it: when pressure hits, everyone can start searching for a way out, but a leader needs to be the person who stays composed enough to find the light switch.
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After a defeat, Smit recalled being frustrated in the change room when de Villiers reminded him:
“Only a loser if you’re not learning.”
It is a fitting message for a rivalry that has constantly evolved.
The Springboks and All Blacks have been going head-to-head for more than a century, with their latest chapter taking a new shape through Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. The 2026 tour has brought the All Blacks back to South Africa for a full tour for the first time since 1996, with the two sides facing each other in four Tests.
After the opening Test went New Zealand’s way at Ellis Park, the Springboks responded in Cape Town with a 33-26 victory to level the series at 1-1. Now the rivalry returns to Johannesburg.
Saturday’s clash at FNB Stadium will be the Springboks’ final Test on home soil before the series heads to Baltimore for the fourth and final match on 12 September.
And while Smit and Fitzpatrick represented different generations of the rivalry, their conversation offered a reminder that some parts of rugby never really change.
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