The All Blacks kick off Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour with a match against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday.
Veteran All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett will guide a mixed team of veterans and inexperienced players in their tour opener against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images
The All Blacks will be guided by a 144-Test cap veteran in flyhalf Beauden Barrett when they kick off Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) tour in their opening match against the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday night (kick-off 7:10pm).
Coach Dave Rennie named a mixed team featuring a few veterans, with Barrett backed up by 90-cap outside centre Anton Lienert-Brown, 88-cap left wing Rieko Ioane and 57-cap lock Patrick Tuipulotu, who will also captain the side in the match.
A number of exciting up and coming players are also in the mix, including prop Siale Lauaki and utility back Josh Jacomb who will both be making their debuts for the All Blacks.
It is the first of four matches that the All Blacks will be playing against the South African franchises, with the Sharks in Durban and Bulls in Pretoria to follow next week Tuesday and Saturday, before the first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on the 22nd of August.
The visitors will then play the Lions on the 25th, before three more games against the Boks, in Cape Town, back in Johannesburg and then in the US to finish off the just major tour between the two massive rivals in three decades.
Dave Rennie
All Blacks coach Rennie, who is in his first season with the team, congratulated the debutants while praising the Stormers.
“Firstly, I want to congratulate the new All Blacks Siale and Josh. It will be a very exciting and proud day for them and their families,” said Rennie.
“We’ve had a great welcome in Cape Town and we’re excited to get this Tour underway. We are really pleased with how our leaders, including match day captain Patrick and tour captain Codie, have prepared the group. We can’t wait for Friday.
“We’re well aware of how good this Stormers side is. They made the semifinals of the United Rugby Championship this year and they are a big, physical side with a mix of talented youngsters and Springboks, so we are preparing for a real war of attrition.”
All Blacks starting XV
Josh Moorby, Leroy Carter, Billy Proctor, Anton Lienert-Brown, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Cortez Ratima, Wallace Sititi, Simon Parker, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Fabian Holland, Pasilio Tosi, Samisoni Taukei’aho, George Bower
Bench: Asafo Aumua, Ollie Norris, Siale Lauaki, Sam Darry, Ethan Blackadder, Kyle Preston, Josh Jacomb, Caleb Clarke
