The All Blacks want to set the tone for their seven-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour of SA with a display of high-tempo rugby against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday, assistant coach Jason Ryan says.Besides four matches against United Rugby Championship sides — the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions — the New Zealanders will also play three Tests against the Boks in SA and a fourth in the US.The All Blacks are likely to experiment in the first game as they build up to the first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on August 22.“It’s really important we start with a bit of confidence and that we get into our game,” Ryan said.“We have 10 new guys involved that have come into the group and a few debutants that have never been into the environment before, so making sure we set them up is important.“We want to play some footy, and head coach Dave Rennie has been clear that we want to give everyone a crack in these first few games against the United Rugby Championship sides.“That’s what the tour is about. We haven’t hidden from that, and that’s the opportunity.“We’re starting well, getting to know the Stormers, who we’ve done some good preparation on, and we’re preparing accordingly for each game.”Rennie said his team appreciated the warm welcome they had received from All Blacks supporters in Cape Town.“I know our players often talked about the support all the Super Rugby teams used to get here and the All Blacks get here,” he said. “So it’s an awesome place to start our campaign in Cape Town, and the support is incredible.“The tour is a balance. It’s a tight schedule, and we have got times when one group’s playing and the other group’s training on the same day, but we’ve got to make sure we embrace the country and embrace the challenge and get [our] heads out of footy at times too. We’ll definitely make sure we enjoy a bit of downtime.“Our first game is here in Cape Town, so we’ll be based here until then, but once we’re playing other games, we’ll travel. We want to stay together as one team. “We won’t leave a group here or send another group ahead. We’ll be in the city and be in the stands supporting each other. We’re building, and we are a new side. We’ve got a lot of new staff. We’ve got quite a lot of new young players, and so we’re learning a lot. “It was a good performance, but we’re well aware of how tough this challenge is — [facing] double world champions."Rennie said the tour would be a different experience to a World Cup.“We’re playing the same team four times, so your review ends up being your preview, and hopefully you learn a bit and do things better in the next game.“We’ve [also] got midweek games, and it means everyone gets to play, and sometimes when you’re away on tour some guys will train but never get a chance to wear the jersey, so playing the provincial sides, it’s great for a whole squad.“We’re well aware of all the African sides because they’ve all got a lot of big men. They play a great brand of footy. It’ll be quick. Playing in this great stadium, we’re really excited about it.”
All Blacks want to set tour’s tone against Stormers, says Ryan
Kiwis to use clash to build confidence, blood new talent in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series











