All Blacks off to winning start but spirited Stormers posed questions
The All Blacks secured a 38-21 victory against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town, though the match was highly competitive for the majority of the game. The Stormers exposed defensive and technical weaknesses in the All Blacks' performance before a late scoring surge decided the outcome.
Why it matters
The performance of the All Blacks against a spirited local side provides insight into the current state of international rugby and the effectiveness of the touring team's tactics.
A late flurry of scoring against a tiring DHL Stormers team saved the touring All Blacks from the potential embarrassment of an opening-game defeat as they got their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour off to a winning 38-21 start at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Friday night.
The final score slightly flattered a New Zealand team that was made to sweat by a passionate Stormers team that was playing out of season, hence the almost inevitable fade right at the end, and also without 10 Springboks.
It wasn’t the famous victory to match that of the historic 12-11 win scored against the All Blacks at Newlands in 1976 that was hoped for from the hosts, but the Stormers were more than competitive and in the first 68 minutes, they exposed some serious flaws in the basics of the All Black game.
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