Behind the Fern: Inside the All Blacks' Test at Ellis Park
It's Test week in South Africa. The latest episode of Behind the Fern follows the team to full time against the Springboks at Ellis Park, rugby's most fearsome away venue.
Landing in the highveld
Hosting this episode is former All Black Lima Sopoaga (#1145), who has his own history with this venue, having made his Test debut against the Springboks at Ellis Park back in 2015. 11 years on, he's returned to go behind the scenes with the current squad as they prepare for the fourth match of a hard-fought series.
Lima goes straight to training, where the episode captures the team working through the sweltering Highveld heat. Sopoaga even finds himself lacing up his old boots for an impromptu session after some encouragement.
144 Test cap All Black Beauden Barrett talks through what it takes to front up at Ellis Park for the first time: the noise on the drive to the stadium, the passion of the South African crowd, and an atmosphere that "you can't really be ready for until you've experienced it".
A jersey that carries generations
One of the episode's most powerful moments comes off the field, before the team even left for South Africa, where the All Blacks' Pasifika heritage is front and centre. Speaking to the group, former All Black and dad of Caleb Clarke, Saveatama Eroni Clarke, reflects on the generations of Pacific greats who have worn the jersey before them, invoking the legacies of Sir Bryan Williams, Sir Michael Jones and Jonah Lomu, before the team is presented with a specially designed piece of formal wear, an ie faitaga, reflecting the different Pacific cultures represented across the group.
It's a moment that ties together individual identity and collective purpose of the team, with the pattern designed to reflect "one story told by many different peoples in our team". It also reflects the All Blacks look to play: flowing, distinctive, and united.
Fans, family and Test day
The night before kickoff, the cameras follow the squad's Champions Window session, where players including Codie Taylor, Damian McKenzie and Ruben Love meet sponsors and fans out and about before Captain's Run.
Then it's Test day. Ellis Park, 60,000 voices, and rugby's greatest rivalry renewed. The episode captures the haka, being met with a rare and widely praised show of respect from the Springbok crowd, before an arm-wrestle of a Test unfolds.
Watch the episode now
From the plane to the pitch, this episode of Behind the Fern goes deeper into what it takes to front up at Ellis Park, the culture, the preparation, and the emotion of one of rugby's great rivalries. Watch the full episode now on allblacks.com and the All Blacks App.
