All Blacks player ratings vs Bulls: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry
Rugby NewsSaturday, 15 August 2026 at 19:52
All Blacks player ratings from a very comfortable win in their third game of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, as Dave Rennie's side beat the Bulls 50-19.
The hosts started brightly, but the Bulls were denied a couple of tries following TMO checks. Included in that was a Hanro Liebenberg disallowed score on his return to Pretoria.
Josh Moorby then scored twice in the corner, while Codie Taylor added two tries, including one from a quick tap, leaving the All Blacks 24-0 ahead at half time.
The Bulls struck early in the second 40 through Ruan Vermaak, but Leroy Carter quickly restored the All Blacks’ momentum. Rieko Ioane and Carter added further tries before the Bulls responded through Stravino Jacobs and Marcell Coetzee.
Wallace Sititi then completed the scoring late on, taking the All Blacks to 50 points to round off an impressive victory at Loftus Versfeld in their final game before facing the Springboks.
Scroll down for All Blacks player ratings.
Bulls: 19
- Tries: Ruan Vermaak (42'), Stravino Jacobs (54'), Marcell Coetzee (74')
- Conversions: Curwin Bosch (43', 74')
- Yellow card: Francois Klopper (30')
All Blacks: 50
- Tries: Josh Moorby (14',19'), Codie Taylor (32', 40'), Leroy Carter (44', 67'), Rieko Ioane (49'), Wallace Sititi (78')
- Conversions: Beauden Barrett (20'), Josh Jacomb (40',50',67', 78')
15 Beauden Barrett — 7
Barrett looked back to somewhat close to his best, showcasing his passing range and creating the opening try with a sharp assist. He handled things well from deep and kicked less, which suited his team better.
There were still a couple of poor moments, including a missed tackle to allow Stravino Jacobs to cross.
14 Leroy Carter — 8
A lively display from Carter, who made a superb break to create the first try and showed excellent aerial ability from a Barrett kick. His finishing was impressive too, scoring in the corner by the narrowest of margins.
He later broke through and assisted Ioane, while also covering well from deep when needed. A second from close range showed his instinct, as he found himself in the right place at the right time.
13 Rieko Ioane — 7
The centre was a constant threat in attack, making several strong runs and breaking through to create dangerous opportunities. A smart pass put Carter into the corner before he evaded a challenge himself to finish off a try.
12 Anton Lienert-Brown — 7
Lienert-Brown was arguably the quietest of an otherwise lively backline, despite being heavily involved in attack. He was outshone by some of his teammates but still enjoyed a solid game, making 12 carries and contributing plenty without putting a foot wrong.
11 Josh Moorby — 7
Scored two tries, which came from a decent finish in the corner to open to scoring, before a simple finish to secure the brace. Didn't do too much aside from that, but two tries is nothing to complain about.
10 Josh Jacomb — 8
Jacomb made a strong case for a starting role at fly-half, impressing with his quick hands, high-tempo approach and composure under pressure.
The Chiefs man dealt superbly with kicks in behind, including one on his own try line, while also producing a neat offload for Carter’s second. He was excellent, even if Ruben Love remains slightly ahead.
9 Cortez Ratima — 7
Ratima managed to keep the tempo high in his 40 minutes stint and while there were no hugely notable moments from the scrum-half, his general tempo and quality of play was very high. Hardly kicked at all and most of his play came through his hands, which helped keep his team on top.
1 Xavier Numia — 8
Only played the first half but was dominant at scrum time, winning a couple of penalties which included a huge one won on a Bulls feed with the hosts just five metres out. Very solid cameo from the Hurricanes loosehead.
2 Codie Taylor — 8
A strong performance from the captain, with Taylor improving the lineout and showing his experience around the try line. He scored twice, including a smart tap-and-go finish and a close-range effort just before half time, before being replaced at the interval.
3 Tyrel Lomax — 7
Lomax showed his experience with a solid all-round display, contributing to a strong scrum. Most of the dominance came down the loosehead side, but he still played his part in a powerful set-piece effort.
4 Fabian Holland — 7
A mixed but impactful display from Holland, who helped strengthen the lineout in attack and defence and produced some excellent moments. He won a key turnover, charged down a dangerous kick and showed great skill with a behind-the-back pass for Taylor’s second try.
However, an earlier error nearly gifted the Bulls a score, had he not been saved by the TMO.
5 Patrick Tuipulotu — 8
The Blues lock put in a monstrous shift and did the dirty work in the pack. His presence also helped improve the lineout before he was replaced after 51 minutes.
6 Simon Parker — 7
Like Tuipulotu, the blindside got through a lot of unseen work, although perhaps not as much as his lock counterpart. He did produce a very nice offload just before Ioane's try, which was his standout moment.
7 Anton Segner — 8
German-born Segner was a menace at the breakdown, repeatedly disrupting the Bulls with a few turnovers and a strong battle with Jeandre Rudolph in that area.
He made several carries and produced a brilliant pass out the back to help create the opening try, combining physicality with impressive skill.
8 Peter Lakai — 7
The 23 year old produced plenty of unseen work, making a significant impact despite spending time out wide. He helped create Moorby’s second try after breaking a tackle and passing inside, while also winning a crucial turnover and forcing a knock-on.
A needless penalty for side entry was his main blemish before departing after 55 minutes.
Replacements
16 Samisoni Taukei’aho — 6
17 George Bower — 6
18 Siale Lauaki — 7
19 Josh Lord — 7
20 Wallace Sititi — 8
21 Kyle Preston — 7
22 Timoci Tavatavanawai — 7
23 Emoni Narawa — 6
Quiz: Name these 10 retro rugby players
From jaw-dropping tries to unforgettable moments (and yes, some questionable haircuts), these players defined a golden era of the game. If their names don’t instantly come to mind, we suggest a quick trip to YouTube to jog your memory. Trust us, it’s worth it.
Ready to test your knowledge? Let’s see if you’ve still got it. Good luck!
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