All Blacks braced for Stormers test as Greatest Rivalry tour begins

The All Blacks expect a demanding opening match to their Greatest Rivalry tour when they take on the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday.

New Zealand lock Sam Darry has warned that the hosts will provide a serious test, despite the Cape-based franchise currently being in pre-season preparations for the United Rugby Championship, which begins in September.

The Stormers reached the URC final and are regarded by Darry as one of the strongest teams in the competition. However, with their domestic campaign still some way from starting, it remains unclear how experienced or competitive a team they will select for the match.

That uncertainty has not reduced the All Blacks’ respect for their opponents.

“We’re expecting a massive challenge [on Friday],” Darry told reporters.

“You know, the Stormers were in the final of the URC, they’re a quality side.”

The match will be New Zealand’s first opportunity to set the tone for the tour, and Darry acknowledged that the atmosphere in Cape Town is likely to favour the home side.

The All Blacks are expected to receive strong support from their own travelling fans, but Darry believes the Stormers will have the majority of the crowd behind them at the Cape Town Stadium.

“I’m sure it’ll be an awesome crowd here. They’ll have a lot of support,” said Darry.

Despite the likely imbalance in the stands, New Zealand are determined to begin the tour with a victory. Darry said the opening fixture carried particular importance because it would give the All Blacks their first chance to demonstrate what the tour means to them.

“It’s kind of the first opportunity for us to show what this tour means to us. So it’s an important game.”

The Stormers’ run to the URC final underlines the quality New Zealand will face, even though the South African side are still building towards the new domestic season. Their current pre-season schedule means the strength of their line-up for Friday will only become clear when the teams are named.

For the All Blacks, the immediate priority is to cope with the challenge presented by a strong Stormers side, handle the pressure of playing in front of a passionate Cape Town crowd and secure the result they want from the opening game of the Greatest Rivalry tour.

Kick-off is at 19:00 on Friday.