The All Blacks set up camp in Cape Town
New Zealand have kicked off their tour of South Africa. Forty-three of the 44 players named by Dave Rennie have arrived in Cape Town this weekend. Only Ardie Savea is missing. The captain is still recovering after 18 months of nonstop rugby. He will join up 10 days before the first Test.
The coach clearly enjoyed the welcome. “It’s incredible,” Rennie said on the edge of the pitch at DHL Stadium. The All Blacks start their campaign on 7 August against the Stormers, recent United Rugby Championship semi-finalists.
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A schedule built to grind them down
The tour runs from 7 August to 12 September. Four matches against South African franchises. Three Tests against the Springboks. Then one final showdown in Baltimore, United States, on 12 September. Three games in Johannesburg, two in Cape Town, one in Durban and one in Pretoria.
Rennie has had to wing it on the travel side. With Gulf airspace closed, his players routed through Hong Kong, Singapore and Perth. The first Test takes place on 22 August in Johannesburg.
Rennie warns: the Boks are a menace
The New Zealand boss made no secret of his respect. “We know how big this challenge is. Double world champions,” he said. Rassie Erasmus has used close to 46 players this summer and beaten England, Scotland and Wales. Thirty years on from the victorious 1996 tour, the New Zealanders know what is coming.
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