New Zealand's highly anticipated tour of South Africa got off to a promising start with a 38-21 win over the Stormers, despite the scoreline being more flattering than the actual performance. The All Blacks side, which was heavily favored to win, struggled with discipline and set-piece issues but managed to overcome these challenges to secure the victory.
The Stormers, who were in pre-season mode, showed resilience and managed to tie the score twice before ultimately succumbing to the All Blacks' ruthless attack in the final minutes. The win saw six tries scored by the All Blacks to the Stormers' three, with the crowd of 47,130 witnessing an entertaining match. New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie acknowledged the introduction to South African rugby and noted areas for improvement, particularly in handling aerial attacks and set-piece play.
The tour will continue with matches against the Sharks, Bulls, and South Africa, with the first test scheduled for August 22.