Greatest Rivalry.

Facing the Springboks took Ruben Love into unfamiliar territory, with the All Blacks playmaker admitting he had never felt pressure like it on a rugby field.

Sir Graham Henry revealed the conversation on DSPN with Martin Devlin, explaining how the series had exposed Love to a different level of intensity.

“I was talking to Ruben Love, for example,” Henry said.

He said, ‘I’ve never experienced so much pressure playing rugby. Wow.’ He said it’s just a massive difference from playing Super Rugby or the Test matches he had played prior.

“The South African team is a very, very good side.”

For Henry, the admission raises a broader question about New Zealand’s pathway to Test rugby. Asked whether Super Rugby Pacific adequately prepares players for the international game, the World Cup-winning coach answered: “No.”

He pointed to the regular exposure previous generations received against South African provincial teams — experience players now have to gain in an All Blacks jersey.

“So, we had four games against the South African provincial sides. We don’t do that anymore, so you’ve got to learn to play that at Test match level.”

Henry, now a selector under Dave Rennie, believes those lessons can help New Zealand develop, but was clear about his admiration for the opposition.