All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan has made clear that the three provincial fixtures ahead of the Test series carry genuine developmental weight, not just warm-up value. Speaking in Cape Town, Ryan said the matches against the Stormers (August 7), Sharks (August 11) and Bulls (August 15) are essential for integrating the ten new members of the touring squad, several of whom have not previously been in the All Blacks environment.
"We have 10 new guys involved that have come into the group and a few debutants that have never been into the environment before, so making sure we set them up is really important," Ryan said. Head coach Dave Rennie has indicated he intends to give the full squad game time across those three fixtures.
Ryan described the Stormers opener as the foundation for everything that follows: "We're starting well, getting to know the Stormers, who we've done some good preparation on, and we're preparing accordingly for each game."
The Test leg begins at Ellis Park on August 22, with further Tests on August 25 (Lions), August 29 (Cape Town), September 5 (FNB Stadium) and September 12 in Baltimore.
Ryan was unambiguous about what the South African leg means from a forwards perspective: "There's nothing better to test yourself against the Springboks in South Africa."