All Blacks overpower Bulls in Pretoria tune-up before Springboks series

The All Blacks sharpened their game in Pretoria and left Loftus Versfeld with a commanding 50-19 win over the Bulls on Saturday. It was their third straight victory on the South African tour, and their most convincing one yet.

Clean finish, heavy contact

New Zealand ran in eight tries and controlled the contest for long stretches, using solid set-piece work, a strong breakdown and better discipline to keep the Bulls at arm’s length. The visitors arrived in Pretoria with a point to prove after a scrappy opening against the Stormers and a more fluent outing against the Sharks. This one looked closer to the latter. Very close.

The Bulls brought experience, including several Springboks, but they never found a sustained answer to the All Blacks’ tempo or accuracy. New Zealand captain Codie Taylor called it “another tough game” and said the Bulls “turned up in patches” in a physical contest at altitude. He added that the Springboks would lift “the tempo and the physicality” even further next weekend. That is the real test.

Selection pressure ahead

The result also leaves Dave Rennie with more selection questions before the first Test against the Springboks in Johannesburg next Saturday. Richie Mo’unga has returned to the New Zealand squad to add to the playmaking mix, while the Bulls were boosted by South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus releasing Elrigh Louw and Johan Grobbelaar for the tour match after both had been freed to get more game time.