All Blacks set to play Stormers in Cape Town

New Zealand’s All Blacks will open their South African tour against the Stormers at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium on Friday. Coach Dave Rennie has selected a 23‑man squad in which 21 players have test caps, including veterans Beaude n Barrett and Rieko Ioane.

Rennie noted the Stormers will come highly motivated, with Director of Rugby John Dobson fielding eleven United Rugby Championship champions. He expects the South African side to apply pressure with a fast‑paced kicking game, creating opportunities for the All Blacks to counter‑attack. The match is a standalone tour fixture, not a warm‑up for the upcoming four‑Test series against the Springboks.