'Hell of a player': Dave Rennie on his two All Blacks debutants and rising star

The opening match of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour saw two new faces wear the black jersey for the first time, and plenty more return to it after spells away.

While they won’t be awarded Test caps, Josh Jacomb replaced Beauden Barrett in the 68th minute and injected some life into the attack, and Siale Lauakai came on for Pasilio Tosi after 47 minutes and was quickly subjected to the power of the Stormers’ scrum, which had the upper hand all night.

While the game was largely a dead heat for the first hour, the New Zealand bench sparked a late surge that ultimately saw the visitors emerge as 17-point victors.

The debutants contributed to that surge, and head coach Dave Rennie recognised the occasion as a special one for both players.

“What a great moment for those guys,” he told reporters after the final whistle. “You play your first game for the All Blacks; they got to wear the jersey, sing the national anthem, do the haka, and then play in a fantastic stadium.

“Siale’s a big man; you can see the impact he can have on the game with that last scrum. So I think he’ll be better for the occasion. I thought Josh was really composed when he came on.

“Those guys will play a lot more minutes on tour. We’re rapt for them; it’s a special time for them and their families.”

Points Flow Chart

New Zealand win +17

Time in lead

0

Mins in lead

44

0%

% Of Game In Lead

54%

55%

Possession Last 10 min

45%

7

Points Last 10 min

17

A starting debut came the way of Anton Segner when Wallace Sititi fell ill late in the week, and the German-born flanker immediately got to work with two big tackles. The Test rookie also chipped in with a dozen carries in his 58 minutes, consistently fighting for post-contact metres with his leg drive and agility.

“He’s a hell of a player,” the coach declared. “Whether it’s a carry or a tackle, he was part of a number of big collisions tonight. So, happy with his efforts.”

Elsewhere in the team, Rieko Ioane played his first game since missing selection in the July squad, starting on the left wing before moving into the midfield when Billy Proctor left the game with an injury. The 29-year-old got his hands on the ball for 10 carries for 54 metres, scoring the try that opened the floodgates in the final quarter.

“It was good to have Rieko back,” Rennie said. “He finished off a good try, and I thought he was a real handful with the ball in hand.

“His versatility helps; he obviously started on the wing and ended up playing a fair chunk of the game at centre. I think versatility will be important on this tour for us. It was handy having him on the park tonight.”

Seven games remain on the tour for New Zealand, with two more outings against club teams before Rennie must decide who his best matchday 23 is for the opening Test against the Springboks. Next on the schedule is the Sharks in Durban in just four days’ time.

“There’ll be a handful of guys tonight who will back up, but there will be a lot of changes,” Rennie said, referring to his selections. “And likewise again when we play the Bulls four days after that.

“It’s exciting. We wanted to be flawless tonight, and we know we can be a lot better, and we’ve only got to wait another four days to get another crack at it.

“I’m excited about the games coming up; it will give us a pretty good indication of what our best lineup will be for that first Test.”