Stormers flank Hacjivah Dayimani takes the ball up in their match against the All Blacks.
The All Blacks opened their historic Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour with a hard-fought victory over the Stormers, but the visitors were given an immediate, bruising taste of South African physicality at Cape Town Stadium.
While New Zealand ultimately ran away with the result late in the second half, the scoreline belied the sheer intensity of a contest that remained firmly in the balance for the opening hour. For a Stormers side still deep in their pre-season preparations, pushing the tourists to their absolute limits served as a ringing endorsement of domestic depth.
The Cape franchise was severely disrupted by early injury blows, losing promising scrumhalf Imaad Khan inside the opening five minutes before his veteran replacement, Dewaldt Duvenage, was also forced off. Coupled with a second-half injury to centre Ruhan Nel, the Stormers were left severely stretched across their backline after opting for a 6-2 bench split.
Despite those setbacks, the host pack laid down a formidable physical marker — particularly at set-piece time — ensuring the All Blacks leave the Mother City with plenty of tactical homework ahead of their opening Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on August 22
