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The All Blacks team performed a haka before the match against the Stormers at DHL Stadium on Friday evening. This event was the culmination of a thirty-year wait, as although the All Blacks have visited the Republic multiple times for Tri-Nations and Rugby World Cup matches, a full tour carries special significance.

The choice of Cape Town as the venue for the first match of this great rivalry was appropriate, especially against the backdrop of the majestic Table Mountain fading into twilight. The city has long supported the team from the Land of Long White Clouds, and now fans had the opportunity to see their heroes up close.

A huge crowd gathered at the stadium: a sea of black and white merchandise mixed with three blue and white 'streeptruie', resulting in an overall attendance of 47,130 people. The atmosphere was extremely tense as fans filled DHL Stadium to watch the first match between DHL Stormers and All Blacks.

The energy of the event was further amplified by the participation of a group of 800 students from Wynberg Boys’ High School—the alma mater of Stormers' halfback, Yaqeen Ahmed, and prop Zachary Porthen. The students performed the famous song 'Blue and White' shortly before the game started.

The stadium looked incredibly spectacular: beams of light outlined the pitch, then rose synchronously, creating a feeling of the entire stadium's unified heartbeat before the start. Even for a venue that hosted the FIFA World Cup semi-final and the URC final, this was a special moment, reminiscent of the spectacular light show at Stade de France in Paris before the Boks' victory in the second World Cup.

The climax was the haka ritual. The New Zealand team formed the familiar wedge formation on the center line of the field, focusing their gaze forward. When the challenge was issued, the entire grand stadium fell into absolute silence for a moment. The honor of leading the haka went to winger Rieko Ioane, whose voice cut through the silence, leading the chant on behalf of the team, and his recently bleached hair added to his prominence at the head of the formation.

As the energy among the fans built, Zaahier Adams from IOL Sport illuminated the streets of Cape Town to feel the excitement before the historic first match of DHL Stormers versus All Blacks at DHL Stadium, as the game kicked off at 7:00 PM.

Around him, Cape Town Stadium simply watched, thousands of phones raised before the silence was replaced by a roar as the final blow echoed across the stands. These moments will remain in the fans' memories forever.

The match itself was a cold reminder of the nature of their confrontation in South Africa. Since the New Zealand franchises no longer face their main rivals in Super Rugby, visitors needed time to adapt to the physical play of the Stormers. When the score was tied at 14-14 shortly after halftime, Stormers fans sincerely hoped for an epic comeback and, more importantly, for the conquest of prestige in the Mother City.

Ultimately, it did not end magically for the blue and white team, but it was an ideal start to a tour that already shows signs of living up to its title of Greatest Rivalry.

In the first match of the great rivalry in Cape Town, the Stormers team demonstrated how vulnerable the All Blacks are in attack, although they could not defeat the visitors.

Despite the fact that the Cape Town team could not beat the visitors, their forward line confidently showed its skill in scrums and rucks, demonstrating to the world champions that this series could be decided by physical confrontations.

The New Zealand team won with a score of 38-21. Although this was only the first match of a long tour, it is clear that they still have a lot of work to do before they are ready to face the Springboks.

At the beginning of the game, the All Blacks started a fast attack, trying to move the ball to catch the Stormers off guard. This worked for some time, and perhaps the event itself influenced the home team, who looked stunned at the very beginning.

However, even after the All Blacks scored first just two minutes into the game, the Stormers did not give up. Five minutes later, midfielder Imad Khan left the field due to a knee injury, which prevented plans to use him together with rookie wing player Yakin Ahmed.

Nevertheless, despite the dominance of the New Zealand team, a strong scrum at the try line conducted by props Vernon Matongo and Nitling Fosie changed the course of the game. The Cape Town team emerged from their zone after the scrum and advanced half the pitch of the All Blacks thanks to powerful rucks, and for the next almost ten minutes they created pressure.

The first goal was scored thanks to an excellent ruck, and it was scored by veteran Deon Fury. The 39-year-old player performed brilliantly with fearless tackles and made a couple of important interceptions. Before his attempt at another ruck, which was scored by hooker Andre-Hugo Winter, the decision was made not to count the goal.

As is often the case with the All Blacks, the New Zealand team scored before halftime, taking a lead of 14-7. In the second half, the Stormers fought for about 25 minutes, even scoring first thanks to a magnificent outside play. Winger Seabelo Senatla broke through the defense after receiving the ball, and this try caused a burst of applause from the fans, leveling the score.

But the lack of full playing time always affected the Cape Town team. Their accuracy decreased in the last fifteen minutes of the match, and two tries near the end of the game secured the victory for the All Blacks.

The Stormers can be proud of their fight, and the penalty try at the end of the match showed that they never gave up. More than 47,000 spectators who attended the DHL stadium thoroughly enjoyed the game of both teams, and this clash sets the tone for a memorable tour.

Rugby director John Dobson is concerned about the injuries to Khan and captain Ruhan Nel. The latter left the field in the second half with a calf injury.