The Stormers ran the All Blacks far closer than most predicted in the opening match of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, trailing only 14-all with 12 minutes left before the tourists pulled away for a 38-21 win that flattered them significantly. Dobson and Nel were measured but pointed in their post-match reflections — proud of a squad missing nine Springboks plus Schickerling, yet clearly stung by what slipped away. The moment that rankled most was a scrum penalty awarded against the Stormers when they were pushing the All Blacks off the ball, from which Ioane scored to restore the lead. Dobson stopped short of openly criticising referee Karl Dickson but left little ambiguity. The late collapse owed as much to a three-week pre-season and a green tighthead replacing the injured Sazi Sandi as to All Black quality — once ahead, the tourists poured on four tries in 12 minutes.
The feel-good subplot was 20-year-old debutant flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, who kept his composure throughout and ended the night swapping jerseys with Beauden Barrett — exactly the kind of development moment Dobson will bank. The broader takeaway, though, is that the Stormers had a genuine shot at history and know it. Both Dobson and Nel acknowledged the regret directly: with a different bounce or a cleaner handle at the critical moment, they could have been the first local side in years to topple a touring All Black team.