The All Blacks started their Greatest Rivalry with a 38-21 victory over the Stormers. They will play the Sharks and Bulls in the next eight days before a test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on 22nd August.
After this first game of the tour, we have learned lots that Dave Rennie and his staff will need to focus on in the coming weeks.
Maul defence needs work… quickly!
The first half and beginning of the second half remained relatively close with the All Blacks not taking a lead of more than seven points until the final 10 minutes. One of the areas that kept the game close was the maul that allowed the Stormers to progress up the field. Their first try came from a series of mauls, having originally had one ruled out. The All Blacks gave away consistent penalties around the lineout and the maul.
Anton Segner is ready for some test time
Segner came into the All Blacks lineup after a late injury to Wallace Sititi. He came in to have a great performance, playing in an All Blacks jersey for just the second time. According to the ReadRugbyUnion player ratings. Segner was one of the players of the match, leading the way for carries when he came off the pitch with just 20 minutes or so to go. He also made 10 tackles in the game, including a huge hit in the opening few minutes, which set the stall for his strong performance.
This was a performance that should indicate to Dave Rennie that he is ready to compete for his second cap when the test matches come in a few weeks.
Is Beauden Barrett finished in black?
Beauden Barrett has been a stalwart of All Blacks test rugby for many years, and despite 144 caps bringing him closer to the record for All Blacks caps. He is just nine behind Sam Whitelock on 153 caps, while he is only four behind Richie McCaw on 148 caps.
Barrett struggled massively under the high ball in the first half, and despite some early flair with his crossfield kicks, he never got the All Blacks backline playing as it should against domestic opposition, who didn’t have their international players.
Barrett had a tricky season for the Blues, and it might have been a sign of things to come
Bonus: Yaqeen Ahmed is the real deal
The young number made his first start in a Stormers jersey, and he impressed after his great Junior World Championship, leading the Junior Boks to victory.
He was technically excellent, kicking some tricky conversions and tactically leading the Stormers well throughout the game. The youngster has a big future ahead of him, and some time to learn under Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu should see him thrive.
