All Blacks overwhelm Bulls as New Zealand build for Springboks test

The All Blacks overwhelmed the Bulls before their first Springboks test, with the Bulls carrying one win, two draws and two defeats from their previous five matches. The result underlined the gap between the sides as New Zealand’s combinations began to come together.

The Bulls’ recent sequence had already offered limited consistency. They opened it with a 0-0 draw against Vanraure Hachinohe, then lost 1-0 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima and 2-1 away to the same opponent.

A 3-1 victory at Mito Hollyhock briefly lifted that run, but the Bulls followed it with a 1-1 home draw against Machida Zelvia. That record left them short of sustained momentum before facing the All Blacks.

For New Zealand, the performance came at an important point in the build-up to the first meeting with the Springboks. The All Blacks’ display suggested that their work is beginning to produce a more settled performance, while the Bulls were unable to match them.

The Bulls now turn to domestic competition. Their next fixture is against the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup on 16 August 2026, giving them a chance to respond after the heavy defeat.

The match also provided a sharp contrast between the Bulls’ recent results and the level required against the All Blacks. Their only win in the five-game sequence came against Mito Hollyhock, while the two losses to Sanfrecce Hiroshima and the draw with Machida Zelvia showed the uneven run that preceded this contest.