A lack of discipline \u2013 the All Blacks conceded nine penalties in the first half alone \u2013 a failure to consistently deal with the high ball, and a scrum which was put under pressure by the Stormers all conspired to put the handbrake on a compelling start by the visitors.<\/p>\n
The start will be one of the positives for Rennie \u2013 the All Blacks displaying sharpness and occasional brutality on both sides of the ball \u2013 but they could not sustain it, the home side more than happy to go from set piece to penalty and vice versa to suck the life from the game during the middle 40 minutes.<\/p>\n
Rennie will make wholesale changes to the team to play the Sharks in Durban on Wednesday morning NZT which will likely improve the scrum, but the overall performance will not have worried the Springboks, currently in Argentina preparing to play the Pumas, in the slightest.<\/p>\n
A regular diet of high balls and lineout drives are coming for this team for their remaining seven games in South Africa and few can build an almost irresistible momentum off the back of that like the world champions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know other teams are going to come there and we\u2019re going to have to do a better job on stopping momentum initially \u2013 not allowing them to piggyback [on penalties],\u201d Rennie said.<\/p>\n
![\"Leroy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leroy-carter-makes-a-break-for-the-all-blacks-ZK64F3UDZ5GPDB7IR7I5Z5LFME.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Leroy Carter makes a break for the All Blacks. (Source: Photosport)<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were all things that we expected and we would have liked to have dealt with them a little bit better, but just a heap of character [to recover from that]\u2026 we felt if we held the ball we could eventually find space and hurt them and we were very clinical late in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting,\u201d Rennie added. \u201cWe wanted to be flawless tonight and we know we can be a lot better. We only have to wait four days to get another crack at it. I\u2019m excited about the games coming up and they will give us an indication of what our best line-up is for that first Test.\u201d<\/p>\n
The All Blacks conceded three yellow cards in the second half but two of them were debatable, to put it mildly.<\/p>\n
Anton Lienert-Brown was alleged to have made contact with an opponent\u2019s head when making a tackle near his tryline but such contacts happen week-in, week-out in senior club rugby without even a penalty. Referee Karl Dickson sent him to the sinbin.<\/p>\n
Likewise, fullback Josh Moorby\u2019s for failing to release a tackled player appeared a little harsh; Moorby was behind his tryline at the finish of the contact which would have negated the need to release a player attempting to score.<\/p>\n
Simon Parker\u2019s, for a maul offence, came after a string of transgressions.<\/p>\n
![\"Rieko](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rieko-ioane-scores-for-the-all-blacks-against-the-stormers-i-VUOUSNEWZ5B35LZD37KKQLR5GM.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Rieko Ioane scores for the All Blacks against the Stormers in Cape Town. (Source: Photosport)<\/p>\n
The good news among the ugly stuff from an All Blacks\u2019 point of view was the performance of lock Fabian Holland on his return, plus the form that loose forwards Peter Lakai and Anton Segner are in. Both were outstanding, the latter after being a late inclusion due to Wallace Sititi\u2019s illness.<\/p>\n
Hooker Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho and replacement Asafo Aumua were also standouts, with outside backs Rieko Ioane, Josh Moorby and Leroy Carter making key interventions.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Caleb Clarke, moved from the bench to the left wing in the second half, looked a little out of sorts and Beauden Barrett, not used at all last month, had a mixed performance, as did centre Billy Proctor, who went off with a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Josh Jacomb, Barrett\u2019s replacement, looked extremely assured on debut.<\/p>\n