Hooker and tour captain Codie Taylor is set to start his first Rugby's Greatest Rivalry match for the All Blacks in the final warm-up clash on Saturday against the Bulls ahead of the opening Test at Ellis Park.
A strong opening 40 minutes at altitude is arguably the final piece that the All Blacks will look to add to their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry puzzle when they take on the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.
Following two strong victories over the Stormers and Sharks, the New Zealanders haven’t really hit the ground running in the first half, with head coach Dave Rennie lamenting their slow and error-filled starts.
They will have the opportunity to rectify that when they take on the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (7pm kick-off) in their last warm-up match ahead of the first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park next weekend.
In both previous matches, strong performances in the final 20 minutes secured comfortable wins in the coastal clashes. However, the altitude is set to test the All Blacks differently, and it could also have an impact on their ability to start the game quickly.
