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2w ago

All Blacks Beat Stormers 38-21 in Tour Opener

A late run of four tries hid repeated yellow cards and scrum problems that will influence selection and preparation for the Test series starting August 22.

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New Zealand's Patrick Tuipulotu celebrates scoring his team's first try during the July 2026 Nations Championship match against Ireland.
Rugby Union - New Zealand tour of South Africa - Stormers v New Zealand - Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa - August 7, 2026 Stormers' Evan Roos in action with New Zealand's Rieko Ioane REUTERS/Esa Alexander

Overview

  • The All Blacks opened their full-scale South Africa tour with a 38-21 win over the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Friday.
  • The score was level at 14-14 before New Zealand scored four late tries to pull away and finish strongly in front of about 47,130 fans.
  • New Zealand were repeatedly penalised and saw three yellow cards that left them down to 13 players at one stage while coaches flagged concerns about scrum performance and aerial contesting.
  • The match gave multiple fringe players game time with two bench debuts and seven players making their first appearance this year, and it also left the squad watching a possible shoulder issue to Billy Proctor.
  • The touring party now moves on to further provincial tests as part of the eight-match programme that precedes four Tests against the Springboks, with a provincial game in Durban next on the schedule.