Stormers’ All Blacks challenge offers Bok hopefuls vital Test lesson

Deon Fourie believes the Stormers’ meeting with the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium on Friday will give the franchise’s younger players a rare insight into the demands of international rugby.

New Zealand will begin their Greatest Rivalry tour against the Cape-based side in Cape Town, with the occasion expected to provide an important test for several Stormers players hoping to earn future selection for the Springboks.

Junior Bok fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed has trained with the Stormers this week and is expected to feature in the match. Fourie hopes the scale of the fixture, and the quality of the opposition, will encourage the squad to lift its performance.

“I hope so. I think if you look at who you’re playing against and what this whole Greatest Rivalry is about,” Fourie said.

The contest will be the first time in 50 years that Western Province, the union associated with the Stormers, has played against the All Blacks.

“The last time that this union, Western Province, this club played against the All Blacks was 50 years ago.

“So probably never going to get that in your lifetime again.

“So hopefully everyone will raise their standards and appreciate the occasion and the responsibility that you have going into Friday night.”

The last meeting between the teams’ predecessors in this context came half a century ago, making Friday’s fixture an unusually significant event for the players involved.

Fourie also knows from personal experience how quickly a match against New Zealand can pass. He faced the All Blacks as a replacement in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, giving him a clear understanding of the intensity involved in playing against one of the world’s leading international teams.

“The game goes past so fast,” said Fourie.

“If you look up and there’s only 20 minutes left or 10 minutes left, and you don’t even realise where you were on the field because you were just running around.

“It’s definitely going to be a good test. It’s going to probably lift the standards of the players as well.

“They’ll all realise what it takes to be a Test player. I think going forward in the URC, that will definitely show the guys what they have to bring to be selected one day for the Boks.”

Fourie’s comments come as the Stormers prepare for a fixture that has been framed as a celebration of the historic rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand. The match is also expected to offer younger members of the squad a practical understanding of the physical and mental standards required at Test level.

For Ahmed and other emerging players, the opportunity to perform against the All Blacks could therefore become an important reference point as they continue their development. Fourie believes the experience will show them what is required if they are eventually to compete for places in the Springbok squad.

Kick-off at Cape Town Stadium is scheduled for 19:00 on Friday.