Imad Khan's injury was a blow for the Stormers after a tense match against the 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.'

Young players, scrum-half Imad Khan and junior flanker Bok Yakin Ahmed, will feature as starting midfielders for the Stormers team in the match against the All Blacks. This match will take place on Friday and will open the tour known as the 'Greatest Rivalry in Rugby'.

The Stormers team intends to entrust its future to young stars, including Springbok junior world champion Yakin Ahmed and promising scrum-half Imad Khan, as part of the start of the 'Greatest Rivalry in Rugby' tour at the DHL stadium.

The match, which will be held in the Mother City on Friday, is expected to be a bright start to the series, as the Cape Town team is ready to challenge New Zealand through its scrum play, maul, and attacking line.

International Rugby

According to IOL Sport, Ahmed, who recently led the Junior Boks to a world title in Georgia, will make his debut in the Stormers starting lineup against the second strongest team in the world. Instead of choosing a more experienced scrum-half to support the 20-year-old player, rugby director John Dobson has opted for the young 22-year-old Khan to play alongside Ahmed.

This will particularly excite fans of the Cape Town team, as this duo is considered the next generation of stars in the Mother City. In the absence of Springboks such as Kobus Reinach, Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse, they will be responsible for leading the Stormers' attacking plan against the dangerous All Blacks.

Flanker Feinberg-Mngomezulu appears ready to return to the Springboks squad after injury when they face Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday. Stormers reserve flanker Yuri Matty, who performed brilliantly at the start of last year's United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign, remains on the bench and is not expected in this confrontation.

This will be a real test for Ahmed and Khan. Although the latter has gained valuable experience in the URC, this will be a completely new challenge for Ahmed. Nevertheless, the Stormers management is excited about the opportunity to unleash these two former school stars against the Kiwis.

Ahmed impressed throughout the Junior World Cup and took control of the championship team after returning from suspension. He was involved in a dangerous tackle during the South Africa 'A' team game against Zimbabwe in June. However, since returning to the pitch, he has continued to impress with his attacking skill, tactical passing, and resilience in defense.

These performances likely secured him a spotlight role in the 'Greatest Rivalry in Rugby', as the Stormers decided not to risk him in the Currie Cup, despite giving opportunities to young stars Marcus Muller and Danny Kruger. Instead, Ahmed was kept in reserve before the match against the All Blacks.

This is a huge opportunity for the young midfield pair to demonstrate their abilities before the start of the new URC season. Since Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Willemse, and Reinach will be absent due to participation in the Springbok squad at the beginning of the club season, strong performances against New Zealand could solidify Ahmed's and Khan's leading positions when the URC begins.