All Blacks player ratings vs Stormers | Rugby's Greatest Rivalry 2026
The All Blacks secured a victory against the Stormers in Cape Town following a late-game surge of points. The match featured notable performances from players like Fabian Holland, despite early struggles at the scrum.
Why it matters
This match serves as a key indicator of team form and player development ahead of the high-stakes Test series against the Springboks.
A historic tour kicked off in the Western Cape with a rare showdown between a Stormers outfit looking to make the most of the occasion and an All Blacks side building towards four Tests with their famed rivals, the Springboks.
It was too tight to call until the 66th minute, when Rieko Ioane got the visitors’ noses in front, and the tries came in a hurry from there. Soon, 14-all became 38-21, and New Zealand paved over an unconvincing start to the match with a flurry of points.
1. George Bower – 5/10 The prop had some heavy collisions early, winning contact with some big Stormers bodies and ending his shift without a missed tackle to his name. Bower’s work at scrum time was unconvincing.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in