All Blacks plan South Africa downtime to stay fresh for Springboks Tests

Dave Rennie says the All Blacks will deliberately step away from rugby during their extended stay in South Africa, with game reserves, golf and wine country among the activities being considered to help the touring squad remain mentally fresh.

The New Zealand side face a demanding schedule, beginning with a match against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday evening. They will then travel to Durban and Pretoria for warm-up games against the Sharks and Bulls before their first Test at Ellis Park on 22 August.

Rennie believes preparing a squad for a long tour involves more than training sessions and match planning. He says players also need the chance to experience the country they are visiting and take a break from the intensity of professional rugby.

“It’s a big part of what we do. You can’t live in that professional bubble all the time. What better place to come than South Africa to experience things that a lot of these men haven’t experienced before,” Rennie said.

The All Blacks coach is keen for the players to make the most of opportunities away from the field while they are in the country.

“Being able to get on a potential game reserve or play some golf, taste some good wine maybe over here. There’s a lot of stuff to do in South Africa. I’m really looking forward to both the Test matches, the games and what South Africa has to offer.”

Rennie acknowledged that fitting recreational activities into the tour will not be straightforward. The squad must manage training requirements, travel and matches, with different groups sometimes following separate schedules on the same day.

“It’s a pretty tight schedule and sometimes where one group’s playing and the other group’s training on the same day,” said Rennie.

Despite those logistical difficulties, Rennie said the All Blacks must ensure they engage with their surroundings rather than focus exclusively on rugby throughout the tour.

“But we’ve got to make sure that we embrace the country and embrace the challenge. We’ve got to get our head out of the footy at times too. So we’ll definitely make sure that we enjoy a bit of downtime.”

The extended stay is designed to prepare the All Blacks for their upcoming matches against South African opposition, while also giving the players enough space to recover mentally between training and competition.

Their immediate challenge is the meeting with the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday evening. The squad will then face the Sharks in Durban and the Bulls in Pretoria before the first Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on 22 August.