New Zealand hold off Stormers 38-21 in Cape Town as tour begins with a test of depth
New Zealand did not stroll through Cape Town. They had to grind for it. The All Blacks opened their South Africa tour with a 38-21
New Zealand did not stroll through Cape Town. They had to grind for it. The All Blacks opened their South Africa tour with a 38-21 win over the Stormers on Friday, edging a fast, physical contest that asked plenty of Dave Rennie’s touring squad.
The result carried more weight than a simple warm-up scoreline. This is the first South Africa tour by New Zealand since 1996, part of the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry agreement, a four-year cycle that will alternate hosting duties between the two rugby powers. The tourists still found enough in the tank to pull clear late, even after stretches in which their attack misfired and the Stormers kept pressing.
A tough opening night in Cape Town
The Stormers made New Zealand work. Home coach John Dobson’s side stayed in the fight for long spells, despite injury setbacks that forced reshuffles in key positions and, by the end, left them with a flanker on the wing. That scramble never looked ideal. Still, it gave the Cape Town crowd reason to believe for much of the evening.
New Zealand’s numbers told a different story. The visitors finished with a full-time lead of 38-21, and their match stats showed a clear workload spread across the squad. Anton Lienert-Brown topped the carrying count with 14, while Patrick Tuipulotu and Anton Segner each carried 12 times. Peter Lakai matched them too. Samisoni Taukei’aho carried 11 times, with Rieko Ioane on 10.
That kind of distribution matters on a long tour. It shows a side testing options, not leaning on one runner to do everything. The All Blacks will need that depth over the next few weeks.
Depth, discipline and late control
The closing stages tilted New Zealand’s way. Josh Moorby was shown a yellow card, but the tourists still found a second wind. Asafo Aumua finished off a try from close range after New Zealand were stopped just metres from the line, while Josh Moorby also crossed on a sharp individual break. The Stormers, for their part, were awarded a penalty try.
For Rennie, the bigger picture runs well beyond one result. His squad faces eight matches on the tour, including four Tests against the Springboks, in a series billed as rugby’s new marquee rivalry. That schedule will demand more than flashes. It will ask for control, accuracy and resilience on unfamiliar ground.
Patrick Tuipulotu led the All Blacks as captain, with Beauden Barrett back at fly-half in a side that was strong on paper but still had to prove itself on the field. The first answer came in Cape Town. Hard, imperfect, and enough. The final margin stood at 17 points.
