Planet Rugby has run the ruler over Dave Rennie's likely line-up for Friday's RGR tour opener against the Stormers in Cape Town. The headline call is Beauden Barrett at 10 and skipper — his first meaningful run since being overlooked for the Nations Championship Tests. Around him, the XV is heavy on players with a point to prove: Rieko Ioane returns after missing those July Tests, Wallace Sititi looks to bounce back after being dropped for the Ireland game, and Chiefs playmaker Josh Jacomb is tipped to start at fullback rather than fly-half. The midfield pairing of Billy Proctor and Timoci Tavatavanawai, and the loose trio of Sititi, Blackadder and Parker, reflect a squad still finding its Test combinations. Up front, injury attrition at hooker (Bell and Taylor both out) means Taukei'aho leads the bench. The piece also flags Siale Lauaki and Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa as likely debutants off the pine.
Planet Rugby's predicted All Blacks XV for the Stormers opener — Barrett to captain, fresh faces throughout
Planet Rugby predicts Barrett captains a motivated but unsettled All Blacks XV in Cape Town, with several fringe players using the Stormers fixture to push Test claims ahead of the Rugby Championship.
Both camps agree: Friday's Stormers-All Blacks clash is a test match in all but name
Both camps are treating Friday's Stormers-All Blacks tour opener as a de facto test match — driven by internal All Black selection pressure, a 50-year gap since WP last hosted the All Blacks, and the Cape Town venue's importance to the test series.
Rennie backs full-scale SA tour to sharpen All Blacks ahead of four-test series
Dave Rennie says the All Blacks' first full-scale South African tour in 30 years will benefit the whole squad, with provincial fixtures giving fringe players game time and a four-test series against the Springboks offering iterative tactical development. Test captain Ardie Savea joins the group before the Johannesburg opener on August 22.
Jake White: Henry's All Blacks return is a 'masterстroke' — and he's no ordinary selector
White calls Henry's return a masterstroke — not because of his selector credentials, but because of the psychological and cultural weight he brings to a rebuilding All Blacks camp. White also makes a pointed broader argument about the game's failure to learn from history, using his own 2007 World Cup experience as a case study.
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
Hooker targeting All Blacks opener after shoulder surgery, July Tests ruled out
Ethan Hooker is targeting the opening All Blacks Test in The Greatest Rivalry series after shoulder surgery, with the 23-year-old ruled out of all July Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.