Stormers identify All Blacks weaknesses in ball play; Deon Fourie earns recognition

During the 'Greatest Rivalry in Rugby' tour match, the Stormers faced the All Blacks. Although the New Zealand team ultimately won in the second half, the match began with a fierce confrontation, demonstrating a high level of intensity throughout the first hour of play.

The Stormers, currently in pre-season preparation, managed to exert significant pressure on the visitors, confirming the depth of the local team's squad. However, the Cape Town franchise faced serious injury problems: promising midfielder Imad Khan was taken out of the game within the first five minutes, and his experienced replacement, Devaldt Duvenage, was also forced off the field. This was compounded by the injury to center Ruhana Nel in the second half, leaving the Stormers severely stretched in the defensive line after opting for a 6-2 substitution scheme.

Despite these difficulties, the majority of Stormers players set a powerful physical standard, especially during ball play, meaning the All Blacks must return to the Mother City with more tactical challenges before their debut match against the Springboks at Ellis Park on August 22nd.

Key takeaways from the opening tour match

Several key points were identified during this intense match. Firstly, the Stormers caused damage to the All Blacks both during scrums and rucks. Stormers supporters noted that the Stormers' front row, particularly young player Louzheda Vernon Matongo, managed to completely dominate the All Blacks in the first half.

Although the All Blacks scored the first try after a series of strong rucks, it was the Stormers who exposed the guests' ruck defense weaknesses with a well-planned breakthrough.

Secondly, the discipline of the All Blacks was overwhelming, although they showed resilience. During the Stormers' period of dominance, the All Blacks squad was reduced to 13 men. After the Cape Town team gained territory through a series of penalties, the visitors lost two players due to yellow cards following a hard tackle and a cynical infringement while defending a ruck near their try line.

Nevertheless, the All Blacks managed to withstand the Stormers' onslaught thanks to superb sliding defense. This resilience will be the biggest positive point for the coaching staff, but they must understand that they cannot afford to receive yellow or red cards from the clinical Springboks team.

Furthermore, the All Blacks successfully utilize quick taps and go balls. Simon Parker helped the visitors gain a seven-point lead by halftime.

Deon Fourie displayed masterful play despite his age. Deon Fourie's previous match against the All Blacks took place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, where he played 77 minutes at hooker with a seriously injured shoulder. The past thirty months have been a tough test for the veteran, who has spent much more time in rehabilitation than on the field.

However, on Friday evening, the 39-year-old flanker, who turns 40 next month, exceeded expectations, demonstrating outstanding play for the Stormers. He fought tirelessly, made crucial turnovers, and executed a powerful run that drew cheers from the fans.

Injuries in the Stormers' defensive line

The final score did not reflect the immense efforts of the Stormers, as they remained in the fight for an hour before substitute midfielder Duvenage sustained an injury. The Cape Town team had already lost key player Imad Khan in the first five minutes due to a knee injury.

It was always a difficult task for 38-year-old Duvenage to play the entire match, considering he had largely transitioned into coaching. When Ruhana Nel was also taken out of the game, the home team faced the need for a major restructuring of the defensive line after the 6-2 forward-to-back substitution scheme was adopted before the match.

The physical test served as a vital signal for the All Blacks. The young talents of New Zealand no longer have the opportunity to regularly test themselves against South African franchises weekly, and the Friday match served as an introduction to this unique physical culture of the Republic.

This match proved to be a sharp shock to the system, especially given that the Stormers are still in the process of pre-season training. Nevertheless, it provides an ideal platform for the visitors to become tougher before facing far more serious tests, including the most physically demanding test—the match against the Springboks.

iol.co.zaAugust 7, 22:11

Stormers lost to All Blacks in the first match of the great rivalry in Cape Town

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.

iol.co.zaAugust 4, 19:17

Stormers draw inspiration from the 1976 triumph ahead of match against All Blacks

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.'

iol.co.zaAugust 3, 17:25

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

All Blacks forward Wallace Cityte stated that the team will approach the first match of the greatest rugby rivalry against the Stormers with the intensity characteristic of a championship match scheduled for Friday evening.

The All Blacks are not going to leave anything to chance as they prepare for this great confrontation. Wallace Cityte emphasized that every match against franchises of the United Rugby Championship (URC) from South Africa will be played with the same spirit and level of intensity as a championship match.

New Zealand begins its four-match tour against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday, followed by matches against the Sharks and Bulls before the main match against the Springboks in Ellis Park at the end of the month.

Although mid-week games may not carry the same weight or status as championship matches, Cityte noted that the team has no intention of viewing them as anything less than elite competitions. The first such match will be against the URC winners at the opening game in the DHL Stadium on Friday (starting at 19:00).

The forward explained that they will prepare accordingly because they know the quality of the teams they will face in these matches against South African franchises.

Although the New Zealand team is not playing against local teams within Super Rugby due to an exemption, discussions in the New Zealand camp revolve around past years when they visited South Africa during the Southern Hemisphere club tournament.

The 23-year-old player has not yet been part of the Super Rugby scene, but he accepted the challenge of facing the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, and Lions. He noted that many players talk about tours they really enjoyed and acknowledges the high quality of South African rugby. However, he added that he does not know what it will be like in practice.

The All Blacks, who received a warm welcome in Cape Town, understand that they cannot afford a slow start on Friday. Although they remain undefeated after impressive performances in the World Cup, a poor start could make them vulnerable ahead of the championship series.

For Cityte, these mid-week games provide the team with an additional opportunity to build momentum and continue developing combinations under the guidance of new head coach Dave Rennie before the series begins.

The Stormers are known for their physical power and pride themselves on their scrum and rucking maul. Similarly, the All Blacks know that the Springboks will also test them in these areas, so a strong start against the first opponent in ball possession will provide a significant boost of confidence.

Nevertheless, the Stormers also enjoy playing an expansive style of rugby, and with the prospect of two attacking players controlling the game in the halfback and winger positions, Imada Hana and junior Springbok Yaqeen Ahmed, the Kiwis will face a tough defensive test.

Cityte believes that the ability to match the South Africans in collisions will be crucial if the All Blacks want to impose their style of play. He noted that the Stormers are a big team, but also have a large forward group that likes to run with the ball and participate in collision battles, so they must be respected in attack. Furthermore, since they like to use the ball, the team must be able to match them in attack to give their backliners all the opportunities they want.