All Blacks intend to play with championship match intensity against Stormers despite the friendly status

The Stormers team is looking back at a fifty-year history while keeping the squad strictly confidential ahead of the historic clash with the touring All Blacks at DHL Stadium on Friday evening (match starts at 19:00).

The contest between the South African provincial team and the New Zealand representatives is a rare occurrence. In the case of the Cape Town region team, the last meeting took place half a century ago when Western Province defeated the All Blacks in Newlands in 1976 with a score of 12:11.

On Tuesday, speaking to journalists, Stormers forwards coach Rito Khulungwane stated that head coach John Dobson mentioned this landmark success during preparations for the first match of the great rivalry series in rugby. Khulungwane noted: 'Dobbo really mentioned it to the team two weeks ago. I saw several videos, so our players are aware of it. We delved into the details of who played in that team, how we won, who scored the touchdowns. We know who played, and we know how that game ended, and that is something we are very proud of—the history of this club and what they achieved 50 years ago.'

Forwards veteran Deon Fury supported these sentiments, emphasizing that the opportunity to play against the touring national team is a unique privilege. He said: 'An opportunity like this doesn't come every four years like the World Cup. The last time was 50 years ago, and now we have another chance. We don't know if such an opportunity will arise again. We just need to grab it with both hands and not disappoint ourselves or this club.'

Despite the history hanging over this match, the Stormers remain closed about their squad. The publication IOL Sport reported on Sunday that young junior Springbok Yakin Ahmed, despite being a 20-year-old U20 champion who has not yet played for the top-tier franchise, is ready to unexpectedly feature in the starting lineup.

Khulungwane neither confirmed nor denied whether the talented Ahmed or other U20 World Rugby champions will be in the squad. He added: 'Yakin is training with us. As you know, we usually announce the squad later in the week.' He also mentioned that left prop Oliver Reid has returned to full training along with several other Junior Boks.

The coaching staff is also closely monitoring the physical condition of the players in the midfield. Defenders J.D. Schickelring and Riley Norton, who is himself a former Junior Springbok captain, resumed training after injuries, but Khulungwane admitted that the medical team might decide not to risk any of these forwards against Dave Renne's guests.

If Schickelring and Norton are taken out of the game, Stormers will maintain useful versatility in the second line. Khulungwane stated: 'Andre Smith is available, Connor Evans is available, and Rowan Ackermann has played in defense before, so we have options.'

Wallace Sititi stated that the All Blacks team will approach matches against United Rugby Championship (URC) franchises in South Africa with the same intensity and seriousness as they do test matches. He emphasized that the team does not intend to lower its preparation level, even though these matches are played mid-week.

The New Zealand team is starting its four-match tour against the Stormers in Cape Town. Following this, they will face the Sharks and Bulls before the opening test match against the Springboks at Ellis Park at the end of the current month. A game against the Lions is scheduled next on Tuesday.

Although mid-week games may not carry the same status as test matches, Sititi noted that the squad intends to view them as elite-level competitions. The first match will take place at DHL Stadium on Friday at 7:00 PM.

Sititi clarified that the team will prepare for these matches because they know the quality of the opponents. Although the New Zealanders have not faced local teams in Super Rugby since the departure of the South African sides, past tours to South Africa during the Southern Hemisphere club tournament were discussed within the New Zealand camp.

The 23-year-old player accepted the challenge of facing the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, and Lions. He mentioned that many teammates spoke positively about such tours and acknowledged the high quality of South African football, wondering if playing in Super Rugby would improve their skills. He answered affirmatively, calling the opponents a quality rival.

The All Blacks, who were warmly welcomed in Cape Town, understand that they cannot afford a slow start on Friday. Despite remaining undefeated after impressive performances in the Tri Nations, a poor start could make them vulnerable ahead of the series of test matches.

For Sititi, these mid-week matches provide an additional opportunity for the team to build momentum and continue refining combinations under the guidance of new head coach Dave Rennie before the series begins. The Stormers are known for their physical power and pride in their scrum and driving maul. Similarly, the All Blacks know that the Springboks will also test them in these aspects, so a strong start against the first opponent in the ball contest will be a significant boost to confidence.

Nevertheless, the Stormers also enjoy playing in an expansive style, and considering the presence of two attacking players, Imdad Khan and junior Springbok Yaqeen Ahmed, managing the game from the midfield and wing positions, the New Zealanders will have to face a tough defensive test. Sititi believes that the ability to match the South Africans in collisions will be critically important for the All Blacks to impose their style of play. He noted that the Stormers possess a large forward who likes to run with the ball and participate in contact battles, so they must be respected in attack. Furthermore, since they like to use the ball, the New Zealanders need to be able to match them in attack to give their wing players all the necessary opportunities.

In the upcoming decisive weekend of the Currie Cup, players from the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls teams have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and increase their chances of making the All Blacks squad, who will begin their matches against great rivals next week.

Key Events of the Currie Cup

The undefeated Cheetahs and the defending champions Griquas are the focus this weekend. Meanwhile, the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls teams aim to use the tournament to strengthen their positions ahead of the tour to New Zealand.

Matches in Cape Town and Kimberley

On Saturday, a coastal derby will take place in Cape Town, where Stormers XXIII, led by scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer, will face Sharks XV. In another match in Kimberley, the Free State team, captained by Springbok veteran Faf de Klerk, will strive to continue its winning streak, giving De Klerk another chance to impress before the tour to New Zealand.

The Cheetahs will closely watch the challenge from the titleholders Griquas, especially at home in Kimberley. Griquas started their season with a victory over the Bulls in the second round and, despite injury issues, intend to stop the winning streak of the more favored team from Bloemfontein.

Opportunities for Young Players

Several young world champions among the Junior Springboks will be involved in the match between Stormers XXIII and Sharks XV in Cape Town. However, given the approaching All Blacks games against their senior United Rugby Championship teams mid-week, spots in the squad are a subject of competition for many athletes.

The head coach of the Cape Town team, Tom Dawson-Squibb, stated that his players are not focused on playing against the greatest rival, but the Saturday match gives them a chance to show themselves. Centre Marcus Müller is debuting in the Currie Cup after playing for the senior team and is one of the players striving to make an impression. Dawson-Squibb emphasized: 'If you want to get into a stronger team, you must train and play well in the current one. There is no better method.' He added that they probably won't lose many players due to the All Blacks match, but injuries could change the situation.

Four Junior Boks will also strengthen the Sharks XV squad. For fullback Luan Giliomee, this is a chance to claim more minutes in the starting lineup and gain experience playing against the New Zealanders. Like Müller, he played for the SA 'A' team this year before helping SA U20 win their second consecutive world title. Nevertheless, like Stormers XXIII, the Durban team is losing, and their priority is to restore the course of the season.

Bulls vs Lions Match

In another match on Saturday (starting at 17:05), the injured and struggling Bulls will attempt to secure their first win of the season against the Lions in Johannesburg. Following a heavy 56-26 defeat to Griquas, the situation for the team coached by Fives Nomlomo is not improving. Captain Nama Shaba has broken a finger and will miss the rest of the campaign along with talented young centre PA van Niekerk. Other players are also on the injury list, and the Bulls have tasked Nicolaas Jansen van Rensburg with taking on the role of captain.

Boland Kavaliers Season Conclusion

Boland Kavaliers, the only other undefeated team, will host the Pumas in Wellington on Sunday. This is their last home game for some time, and they need to secure a victory before their three-match away trip. A third consecutive win could prepare them for a successful tour and potentially put them in a strong position to fight for a semi-final at home later in the season.