Legendary hooker Fitzpatrick names his top 5 all-time All Blacks

Sean Fitzpatrick has named his top five favourite All Blacks, selecting four players he played with himself at Test level as well as Dan Carter, a more modern-day legend compared to the ex-hooker who represented New Zealand on 92 occasions between 1986 and 1997. 

Now 58, Fitzpatrick became a World Cup winner in 1987 and he went on to skipper the All Blacks in the 1995 final loss to the Springboks in South Africa. Appearing on the latest edition of The Wrap, the weekly video show hosted by Ugo Monye, the former front-rower was asked to name his five all-time favourite All Blacks. 

"It is really difficult because I played with so many great All Blacks over the years and I watched so many great All Blacks over the years from Sid Going to Bryan Williams to Colin Meads, Brian Lochore - just great players. 

"But I suppose in terms of players I played with, it is very hard to go past Michael Jones, John Kirwan, Grant Fox. I always say - and it's not because Zinny does the same for me - the one player that I'd select above all others in terms of if I can pick one All Black to play with, it would be Zinzan Brooke. 

"Just purely his talent was unbelievable but I loved his passion for the jersey and that still continues. In terms of current players or players that I watched, I loved watching Dan Carter. He influenced games. 

"Players like Michael Jones and Zinzan, they influenced games. That is why I like them but in the modern era, Dan Carter would be the one. The game he played in 2005 against the Lions in Wellington was probably the greatest game by a No10 that you would ever see, so Dan Carter makes the top five," explained Fitzpatrick, who recently made a call on rugby administrators to better protect the under threat club game.

Meanwhile, two-time World Cup winner Conrad Smith has outlined his excitement about the impending All Blacks versus Springboks Rugby Championship matches in Australia. "As good as the All Blacks were the other week, they know it will be an entirely different game when they play South Africa, just the threats that they pose, the strength they have at set-piece... and we also realise South Africa, if a game opens up, they enjoy it. 

"They are not a one-dimensional team. They are very good at that set-piece but they can play open rugby as good as anyone. There will be a great edge as always when New Zealand play South Africa, but even more so because the weight has been so long."  

It has been 23 months since the All Blacks last faced the Springboks, defeating the eventual World Cup winners in a September 2019 pool opener in Japan.  They are scheduled to clash in round five of the Rugby Championship in Townsville on September 25 with the round six rematch scheduled for the following Saturday on the Gold Coast.