What time is kick off for the Bulls v All Blacks on Saturday?
The All Blacks sent out a warning to the Springboks as a strong side hammered the Sharks 54-0 on Tuesday, and they will next be in action when this…
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The All Blacks sent out a warning to the Springboks as a strong side hammered the Sharks 54-0 on Tuesday, and they will next be in action when this Saturday’s clash against the Bulls kicks off at Loftus.
It will be hoped that URC finalists, the Bulls, can put up a far sterner test after Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour has got off to a rather lacklustre start.
This Saturday’s clash at Loftus will kick off at 19:00, and a week later the Springboks and All Backs will then go head to head in the first Test at Ellis Park.
All Blacks send out a warning ahead of kick off against the Bulls
After Tuesday’s impressive win that showcased the All Blacks’ high-tempo offloading game, coach coach Dave Rennie has said there is a lot more to come.
“The (wet weather) conditions (in Durban) made it challenging, but I thought overall we did a pretty good job there, on the back of a solid defensive effort.
“Look, we’ve got a lot more in us, and we can’t afford to start games like we have in the last two here, so that’ll be a focus for us. But a really positive last 40.
“We’ve got a lot more players who have had good game time,” Rennie added. “There’s good competition for spots, and that’s really important heading into the (Joburg) Test.”
Meanwhile, Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has worryingly suggested this weekend’s battle against New Zealand is hardly ideal.
“We had to cut the break short. We have to give the guys a five-week break, but we could only give them three weeks.
“Conditioning is one thing, but your body, after three or four weeks, loses its contact ability. So we had to fast-track all of that.
“If this game wasn’t there, we would probably have been in a conditioning phase only. So it has put a bit of pressure on us.
“It’s a great occasion, but we will definitely be a bit underprepared from where we want to be. We’re building up to the URC and that’s still a few weeks away, so we don’t want to peak now,” he added.
“It’s not to use it as an excuse, but the fact that we went to the final meant we had less time to prepare than the other franchises.
“We just want to embrace the occasion and hopefully get a reward for what we’ve tried to practise over the last few weeks.”
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry fixtures and results