Murray Mexted, drawing on his experience playing for Natal and touring with the Cavaliers, has weighed in on the All Blacks' Greatest Rivalry tour with a blunt assessment: no team on earth could come to South Africa and win everything. Speaking ahead of the Sharks match in Durban, he warned first-time tourists in the All Blacks squad that the intensity of the rugby environment there is unlike anything they'll have encountered. Notably, Mexted frames New Zealand as uniquely respected in South Africa — "revered" is his word — but questions whether the current squad can live up to that reputation. His realistic benchmark for a successful tour is a 2-2 series split across the four Tests.
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Mexted: South Africa is the hardest place in world rugby to tour
Mexted draws on his Natal playing days and Cavaliers tour to warn the All Blacks: South Africa is the toughest rugby environment on the planet, and a 2-2 series split would be a result to be satisfied with.
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