Overview
- The All Blacks, which arrived in Cape Town on Friday, begin an eight‑match, six‑week tour that pairs three URC franchise games with four Tests against the Springboks.
- Coach Dave Rennie praised Rassie Erasmus’s heavy rotation and depth as he acknowledged South Africa’s bench strength and set‑piece threat.
- Rennie left captain Ardie Savea in New Zealand to recover and named Codie Taylor tour captain with Savea due to join the squad ahead of the Test series.
- New Zealand travelled with a 44‑man party loaded with forwards and 12 front‑row options while the Boks continue to rotate heavily and carry deep scrummaging stocks.
- Coaches will use the provincial matches and an Argentina warm‑up to finalise Test selections and manage player workloads, a process that will shape the four‑Test block and broader World Cup‑cycle planning.