My life in sport: Peter Fitzsimons

Peter Fitzsimons loves everything that goes with rugby. Photo / Getty Images

Peter Fitzsimons speaks this morning at the New Zealand Herald's Bledisloe Breakfast in the Hall of Legends at Eden Park.

His book Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men is on sale now.

What are your career goals for 2009?

To have my book be a bestseller in both Australia and New Zealand.

Didn't take you long to get a plug in for that!

Have phone, will plug. The book was launched by our Prime Minister four weeks ago and it's No 1 in Australia at the moment.

What about career goals for Australian rugby in 2009?

I would really like to see Australian rugby get its due, which is to be on the launching pad to not only win the Tri-Nations but to be at least at base camp and above for the World Cup 2011. I really feel they've done the work, they've got terrific players coming through. I say this with due respect to those young individuals fulfilling their dreams by wearing the All Black jersey, but on our side of the Tasman, when you look at that lineup of New Zealand players against Australian players in this particular test, a few of the All Blacks look to me to be more anonymous than a wrong number. I don't recognise a few of those names, do you?

So you don't think the All Blacks have the depth any more?

Look, I'm being honest and I'm careful with my words. And I say this with respect to those that have achieved their dream of wearing the All Black jersey - which is fantastic. But there have been times in the last few years when you look at the All Black lineup and you say to yourself "**** me drunk! That's a good side." You know, every position is filled by a legend of the game. Every position is filled by guys who are household names.

Now, I do not by any means denigrate the players taking the field for the All Blacks [tomorrow] but from this side of the Tasman, gee, they don't resonate quite like they used to.

How has Australian rugby accepted Robbie Deans?

I was bitterly critical of Australia appointing him. He's a great man and a great coach. One of the most accomplished coaches in the world, but I really think it mixes the whole thing up - the schtick of test match rugby is it's our best and brightest against your best and brightest.

But against that, I actually now play touch rugby with him a couple of times a week.

Does his style suit the Wallabies?

He seems to me to be the rugby incarnation of President Theodore Roosevelt's famous line about leadership: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He never seems to raise his voice, but nobody seems to cross him twice.

What inspired you to embark on a career in sport?

My sporting career was long ago. I liked rugby, but what I loved was everything that went with rugby. I loved seeing my name in the paper. I loved using rugby as a passport to travel around the world. Pretty much every year for the last 15 years I've gone back to the village I played rugby in France. The friends I formed through rugby will last me my life. My closest friend is Nick Farr-Jones.

When you were 13, what other sports did you fancy yourself as a star in?

I wanted to open the batting for Australia. The closest I got was 73 not out for the Under 14-Ds. And I also wanted to play Davis Cup for Australia in tennis. Not even close.

Well you had the frame for locking anyway.

I certainly did.

What's the worst thing about your job?

My major job is doing newspaper columns and writing books. When I'm really immersed in a book, I'm doing either one of two things - I'm either writing my book, or I'm resenting that I'm not writing my book. And that can be hard on my family.

What's your favourite venue?

I like Wellington. I think that's a great venue. I also like test matches at the Sydney Football Stadium.

What's the proudest achievement in your playing career?

Being the only Wallaby ever sent from the field against the All Blacks. Now there will come a time when I hope to be 85 and possibly in a wheelchair, when I'm a doddery old man and my grandchildren may look at me with pity and my great-grandchildren will say, "Look at that doddery old man." And I will be able to say: "Listen to me, there was a time in my life when a qualified referee looked at me and he looked at 15 All Blacks, who were determined to kill me, and he said to me, 'You are too dangerous to stay on the same field as these 15 All Blacks, you might hurt them. I must protect these 15 All Blacks from Fitzsimons because he's gonna tear their heads off.' I like to think he was right."

Whom do you most admire?

The two greatest living people today for me are Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali. And the hardest bastard I ever played against was Wayne Shelford.