August 7, 2026 • 9 mins
A shaky first outing for the All Blacks to open their tour of South Africa, the team needed a late surge to secure the win in Cape Town.
The match was locked at 14-all before the All Blacks scored four tries in the final 15 minutes against the Stormers.
Assistant Coach Mike Blair told Piney they’re pleased to get the win, but there’s plenty to work on as well.
He says they loved the resilience the team had, but they’re frustrated at a few of the missed opportunities they could’ve made on other days.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
God Daddy about it's pick all Blacks after it scooped
up Josh Morby one handed back up in the left
wing border. This guy's class Josh Morby thirty three fourteen.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
It was fourteen all after sixty seven minutes, but four
tries in the last thirteen minutes have inflated the scoreline
or Blacks assistant coach Mike Blair is with us. Thanks
for joining us, Mike. What's your overall assisement of game
one of the tour.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Nice to speak to you, obviously, we're really pleased to
get the win. We played some good stuff in there
and plenty to.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Work on as well. That the bit we loved about it.
There was some real resilience in there. So we went
down to thirteen men, still went in halftime at fourteen all,
and we kept a composure and took our opportunities later
on in the game.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
But we're frustrated. Did a few of the missed.
Speaker 5 (01:07):
Opportunities as well that on other days we could have
walked in but they didn't just quite click today.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Did you always feel as though you had the gas
in the tank to come over the top of them.
At the end, it was still fourteen or or thirteen
minutes to go, a real flurry of tries at the end.
Did you always feel as though you had that gas
in the tank.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
I think we've got to understand that teams, that it
takes time to break teams down, and obviously we wouldn't
want to leave it that late every week. But the
fact that we did a lot of work, good work
in the first half with our with our multi phase,
stressed them a little bit, which meant that those opportunities
were taken later on in the game, and we've got good.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Athletes who can make the most of those opportunities.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Did you get what you expected from the Stormers?
Speaker 5 (01:51):
Yeah, they were impressive, weren't they. A number of excellent
performances from them. Thought Deon three was all over the place.
I thought I thought that ten he was playing in
one of his first pro games. I thought he looked
composed and obviously their their set piece was a real threat.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
So yeah, they played a good game and a game
that we expect them to to play.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
So some some positive stuff from us, but but definitely
some some stuff to walk on.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I know it's not necessarily your area, Mike, but the
scrums were were really massy, especially in the first half.
Any idea why that.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Was, what makes you think I don't knowing about scrums, unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I used to be I used to be a scrum.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Half in that case, then I'm looking forward to your assessment.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Yeah, we we We've gone the wrong side of the
penalty kind I think one of the really pleasing things though,
was that, you know, the scrum in the last kind
of three.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Minutes of the game.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
We've got a young, young set of props on and
we and we shunted Stormers off the ball, so that
that showed great resilience and they find a way obviously
around the scrum. There is some some work to do there,
but you know, we've got some great coaches.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
You're going to do a good job with them.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
He mentioned before. A couple of work on areas and
a bit of frustration around certain parts of the game.
Anything in particular that you'll be that you'll be focusing
on in the review.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Yeah, I think we created opportunities and we've just got
to be really ruthless with those opportunities. And I think
we've probably left three or four tries out there that
on other days it's just you know, performing the basics well,
so you know there's a bit of rustiness as well there.
Guys haven't played in a in a reasonable amount of time,
so it'll be great that they've got that game under
(03:36):
their belts and we'll see improvement going ahead.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
In the two, you had three yellow cards shown to
your players. Any issue with any of those.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Mike, I'm I'm not too sure to be honest.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
I think we almost felt that we would rather have
given away the the try on that the storm is
more rather than getting the yellow card and another five
minute liner to defend. I think you know, when you
when you stay high and there's a bit of head contact,
you're always bringing the TMO into it. And I think
(04:10):
the last one with with Josh was was was touch
and go. I can see why it was given, but
it was you know, it was it could have gone
either way, I think.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
On that one how it was ruled. So no, no
real issues with that.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
We've we've got to look after our own stuff and we've
got to be squeaky clean there to not give the
opportunity to penalize us for that from now.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Then it's quite a unique challenge, isn't it for the
coaching group, in terms of the fact that you now
need to prepare an almost entirely different group of players
for Phoenix Challenge or what sort of challenge will that
present to you?
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Yeah, things things speed up now for sure, and you
know the work rate's going to be where the workload's
going to be be high for the players and the
coaches as well. So we just got to be really
sharp around our reviews, our previews of what's coming. You know,
we've got some excellent players, so their ability to pick
up information and.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Take that on and apply it should be really good.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
So it's a very challenging and when we're really looking
forward to taking.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
On I know that there was never any doubt, but
did today confirm that this is going to be a
heck of a tour?
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Absolutely.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
It was a brilliant atmosphere here, really competitive game, really
physical game, and you know we've got another one coming
up on Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
My congrats on getting the first one on the board.
Appreciate you taking the time for a chat.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Awesome, thanks mate, No, thank you.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Mike. Mike Blair, All Blacks attack coach, out of Cape Town,
where the All Blacks have kicked off the greatest rivalry
tour with the thirty eight to twenty one went over
the Stormers. It looked like a side that hadn't played
together very often, containing several players who haven't played any
rugby for a while, which, of course it was. It
was good to get the win to start the tour off,
(05:54):
even if it did need that late flurry of tries
to get the All Blacks across the line. Good to
give some guys some rugby, good to add a couple
more debutantes. But if there was any out about how
tough this tour is going to be, and I don't
think there was any doubt, but if there was, it
was well and truly dispelled today and there is plenty
(06:18):
to work on as the All Blacks now plot the
rest of this tour, starting with the Sharks in Durban
on Wednesday morning Tuesday night over there areas of particular focus.
I've got four main ones. Number one the aerial ball,
it is still an area of concern for the All
(06:38):
Blacks and one which will absolutely without a doubt be
targeted by the South African teams. Spring Box in particular
for whatever reason, we just can't seem to effectively and
consistently diffuse aerial threats. And when a kick goes up
and one of our players goes up to get it
and doesn't, the rebound almost always seems to go to
(07:01):
the opposition. So the battle in the air Number one,
Number two the scrum look, most of us don't have
the depth of knowledge to know what goes on in
there in minute detail. But they were a bit of
a mess, weren't they. We were penalized a lot at
scrum time, and the Stormers showed plenty of power, which
(07:21):
all of the South African teams will over the next
six weeks, not least of all the spring box. Number
three more defense. The Stormers put pressure on from the
lineouts close to the All Blacks line. The spring Box
will do exactly the same, so giving away penalties which
allow the opposition to kick for the line and set
up for a driver, something that just can't be afforded
(07:43):
by the All Blacks. And number four discipline three yellow carts.
I thought the first one was questionable. Actually, Antonine Brown
makes contact as he goes into the tackle with the
upper chest first, and then it kind of slides up
and makes contact with the head. Simon Parker, Josh Moreby
also spending time in the bin. Look, it's hard enough
(08:05):
to win in South Africa with fifteen guys. You can't
be going to add to fourteen for large periods or
thirteen as was the case for a while in this one.
And on the discipline side of things, sixteen penalties conceded,
including five in a row in the second half. So
as they depart Cape Town for Durban and the Sharks
(08:25):
Wednesday morning out time, there is a bit to chew over,
plenty of room for improvement. Thankfully, I firmly believe the
capacity for that improvement is there and the side that
runs out against the Sharks on Wednesday morning will be
demonstrably different to what we saw this morning. A lot
of cobwebs shaken off this morning. It felt to me
(08:50):
by players, as I say, who haven't had a heck
of a lot of rugby. Look at guys like Simon Parker,
Bowden Barrett, they hadn't played it all in July. The
last time those guys played was the back end of
Super Rugby. Boteen Barrett hasn't a game for a couple
of months. Others in the same boat. L Preston didn't
get any rugby during July, he got out there. Josh
(09:10):
Jacob on debut. C ALILAWAKEI on debut. Combinations in the
loose forwards and in midfield that haven't been used often,
so there was always going to be a bit of clunkiness.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
God Daddy about it's pick all Blacks after it scooped
up Josh Morby one handed back up in the left
wing border. This guy's class Josh Morby thirty three fourteen.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
It was fourteen all after sixty seven minutes, but four
tries in the last thirteen minutes have inflated the scoreline
or Blacks assistant coach Mike Blair is with us. Thanks
for joining us, Mike. What's your overall assisement of game
one of the tour.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Nice to speak to you, obviously, we're really pleased to
get the win. We played some good stuff in there
and plenty to.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Work on as well. That the bit we loved about it.
There was some real resilience in there. So we went
down to thirteen men, still went in halftime at fourteen all,
and we kept a composure and took our opportunities later
on in the game.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
But we're frustrated. Did a few of the missed.
Speaker 5 (01:07):
Opportunities as well that on other days we could have
walked in but they didn't just quite click today.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Did you always feel as though you had the gas
in the tank to come over the top of them.
At the end, it was still fourteen or or thirteen
minutes to go, a real flurry of tries at the end.
Did you always feel as though you had that gas
in the tank.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
I think we've got to understand that teams, that it
takes time to break teams down, and obviously we wouldn't
want to leave it that late every week. But the
fact that we did a lot of work, good work
in the first half with our with our multi phase,
stressed them a little bit, which meant that those opportunities
were taken later on in the game, and we've got good.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Athletes who can make the most of those opportunities.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Did you get what you expected from the Stormers?
Speaker 5 (01:51):
Yeah, they were impressive, weren't they. A number of excellent
performances from them. Thought Deon three was all over the place.
I thought I thought that ten he was playing in
one of his first pro games. I thought he looked
composed and obviously their their set piece was a real threat.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
So yeah, they played a good game and a game
that we expect them to to play.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
So some some positive stuff from us, but but definitely
some some stuff to walk on.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I know it's not necessarily your area, Mike, but the
scrums were were really massy, especially in the first half.
Any idea why that.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Was, what makes you think I don't knowing about scrums, unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I used to be I used to be a scrum.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Half in that case, then I'm looking forward to your assessment.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Yeah, we we We've gone the wrong side of the
penalty kind I think one of the really pleasing things though,
was that, you know, the scrum in the last kind
of three.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Minutes of the game.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
We've got a young, young set of props on and
we and we shunted Stormers off the ball, so that
that showed great resilience and they find a way obviously
around the scrum. There is some some work to do there,
but you know, we've got some great coaches.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
You're going to do a good job with them.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
He mentioned before. A couple of work on areas and
a bit of frustration around certain parts of the game.
Anything in particular that you'll be that you'll be focusing
on in the review.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Yeah, I think we created opportunities and we've just got
to be really ruthless with those opportunities. And I think
we've probably left three or four tries out there that
on other days it's just you know, performing the basics well,
so you know there's a bit of rustiness as well there.
Guys haven't played in a in a reasonable amount of time,
so it'll be great that they've got that game under
(03:36):
their belts and we'll see improvement going ahead.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
In the two, you had three yellow cards shown to
your players. Any issue with any of those.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Mike, I'm I'm not too sure to be honest.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
I think we almost felt that we would rather have
given away the the try on that the storm is
more rather than getting the yellow card and another five
minute liner to defend. I think you know, when you
when you stay high and there's a bit of head contact,
you're always bringing the TMO into it. And I think
(04:10):
the last one with with Josh was was was touch
and go. I can see why it was given, but
it was you know, it was it could have gone
either way, I think.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
On that one how it was ruled. So no, no
real issues with that.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
We've we've got to look after our own stuff and we've
got to be squeaky clean there to not give the
opportunity to penalize us for that from now.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Then it's quite a unique challenge, isn't it for the
coaching group, in terms of the fact that you now
need to prepare an almost entirely different group of players
for Phoenix Challenge or what sort of challenge will that
present to you?
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Yeah, things things speed up now for sure, and you
know the work rate's going to be where the workload's
going to be be high for the players and the
coaches as well. So we just got to be really
sharp around our reviews, our previews of what's coming. You know,
we've got some excellent players, so their ability to pick
up information and.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Take that on and apply it should be really good.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
So it's a very challenging and when we're really looking
forward to taking.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
On I know that there was never any doubt, but
did today confirm that this is going to be a
heck of a tour?
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Absolutely.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
It was a brilliant atmosphere here, really competitive game, really
physical game, and you know we've got another one coming
up on Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
My congrats on getting the first one on the board.
Appreciate you taking the time for a chat.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Awesome, thanks mate, No, thank you.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Mike. Mike Blair, All Blacks attack coach, out of Cape Town,
where the All Blacks have kicked off the greatest rivalry
tour with the thirty eight to twenty one went over
the Stormers. It looked like a side that hadn't played
together very often, containing several players who haven't played any
rugby for a while, which, of course it was. It
was good to get the win to start the tour off,
(05:54):
even if it did need that late flurry of tries
to get the All Blacks across the line. Good to
give some guys some rugby, good to add a couple
more debutantes. But if there was any out about how
tough this tour is going to be, and I don't
think there was any doubt, but if there was, it
was well and truly dispelled today and there is plenty
(06:18):
to work on as the All Blacks now plot the
rest of this tour, starting with the Sharks in Durban
on Wednesday morning Tuesday night over there areas of particular focus.
I've got four main ones. Number one the aerial ball,
it is still an area of concern for the All
(06:38):
Blacks and one which will absolutely without a doubt be
targeted by the South African teams. Spring Box in particular
for whatever reason, we just can't seem to effectively and
consistently diffuse aerial threats. And when a kick goes up
and one of our players goes up to get it
and doesn't, the rebound almost always seems to go to
(07:01):
the opposition. So the battle in the air Number one,
Number two the scrum look, most of us don't have
the depth of knowledge to know what goes on in
there in minute detail. But they were a bit of
a mess, weren't they. We were penalized a lot at
scrum time, and the Stormers showed plenty of power, which
(07:21):
all of the South African teams will over the next
six weeks, not least of all the spring box. Number
three more defense. The Stormers put pressure on from the
lineouts close to the All Blacks line. The spring Box
will do exactly the same, so giving away penalties which
allow the opposition to kick for the line and set
up for a driver, something that just can't be afforded
(07:43):
by the All Blacks. And number four discipline three yellow carts.
I thought the first one was questionable. Actually, Antonine Brown
makes contact as he goes into the tackle with the
upper chest first, and then it kind of slides up
and makes contact with the head. Simon Parker, Josh Moreby
also spending time in the bin. Look, it's hard enough
(08:05):
to win in South Africa with fifteen guys. You can't
be going to add to fourteen for large periods or
thirteen as was the case for a while in this one.
And on the discipline side of things, sixteen penalties conceded,
including five in a row in the second half. So
as they depart Cape Town for Durban and the Sharks
(08:25):
Wednesday morning out time, there is a bit to chew over,
plenty of room for improvement. Thankfully, I firmly believe the
capacity for that improvement is there and the side that
runs out against the Sharks on Wednesday morning will be
demonstrably different to what we saw this morning. A lot
of cobwebs shaken off this morning. It felt to me
(08:50):
by players, as I say, who haven't had a heck
of a lot of rugby. Look at guys like Simon Parker,
Bowden Barrett, they hadn't played it all in July. The
last time those guys played was the back end of
Super Rugby. Boteen Barrett hasn't a game for a couple
of months. Others in the same boat. L Preston didn't
get any rugby during July, he got out there. Josh
(09:10):
Jacob on debut. C ALILAWAKEI on debut. Combinations in the
loose forwards and in midfield that haven't been used often,
so there was always going to be a bit of clunkiness.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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