Rennie savors a 'special win' as the All Blacks brace for a Springboks backlash

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The sweat was barely dried after a “special win” against South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday and New Zealand coach Dave Rennie was already anticipating the Springboks' fiery reaction.

Rennie's brief tenure in charge of the All Blacks got a statement victory after taking down two-time world champion South Africa 33-16 in the first test of their four-test series.

Halftime came as a relief to the All Blacks, who trailed by one and overcame a beating in the scrums to ultimately whack the Springboks by five tries to one.

“We were under the pump and the boys barred up,” Rennie said. “We defended and defended, and then we were clinical when we got our opportunities. So, yeah, I'm proud, a massive effort. It's a great result for us, but we're wary of the response we'll get next week.”

Going 1-0 up in the series “doesn't guarantee anything,” he added. “Next week is going to be just as tough. We'll enjoy the moment.”

The scrums played a big role. New Zealand was overwhelmed in the first half. Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot was getting done over by Wilco Louw. Rennie said de Groot was ill on Friday and left the captain's run early to return to bed.

Rennie said they were debating when to replace de Groot when he came off in the 38th minute along with lock Josh Lord after their heads collided. Rennie didn't anticipate concussion protocols allowing both forwards to be available for the second test in Cape Town next Saturday.

De Groot was replaced by George Bower, whose selection ahead of Xavier Numia was disputed by supporters. But Rennie said Bower's experience was invaluable and his impact was sizeable. By the end of the match, Bower, Fletcher Newell and backup hooker Asafo Aumua ensured the scrum was no longer a weapon for the Springboks.

Earning a penalty off the Springboks' scrum feed in the All Blacks' 22 near the hour was decisive, captain Ardie Savea said.

“You talk about being composed in tight moments, and you could just see the boys were really present in the moment,” he said. “All you can ask for as a leader is for everyone to do their job, and everyone did that.”

New Zealand was forced into a late withdrawal when reserve flanker Anton Segner suffered ankle inflammation and was replaced by Simon Parker.

Parker may be among a very few All Blacks from the test match who back up in the final tour game against a club, the Lions, at Ellis Park on Tuesday.

Rennie was hired this year after Scott Robertson was fired due to a dysfunctional team environment that didn't have the All Blacks on track for hoped-for World Cup success next year. Before Saturday they had lost five of their last six matches against South Africa.

Since getting hands on in June, Rennie and his staff have given the All Blacks clarity and direction and lifted the mood. But the coach wasn't happy to take plaudits on Saturday.

“We're still in our infancy,” he said, “still getting our heads around how we want to play.”

See AP’s full rugby coverage here

New Zealand's captain Ardie Savea, center, celebrates with his teammates following a Test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

New Zealand's head coach Dave Rennie watches on as players warm up for a Test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Moke advanced toward Hawaii Saturday, likely bringing more heavy rainfall and strong gusts to the Big Island, where residents are still dealing with the aftermath of heavy flooding and damaging winds from Hurricane Lala.

Moke, which formed Friday in the Pacific Ocean, was located about 470 miles (755 kilometers) southeast of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph), as of 5 a.m. on Saturday in Hawaii. Maximum sustained winds were around 50 mph (85 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.

As with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island is expected to bear the brunt of Moke's rain and heavy winds as it passes south of a direct hit late Saturday into early Sunday.

Moke will then continue its westward path near the islands through early Tuesday, said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

“There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” Oswant said.

Lala downed trees, swept buildings off their foundations, damaged roads and bridges and left roads covered in mud and rocks. One storm-related death was reported.

Rainfall predictions for this weekend for the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island were 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters), with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) in isolated areas, Oswant said. Across the rest of the island chain, 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 centimeters) of rain was expected, though parts of east Maui could see up to 4 inches (10 centimeters), she said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect early Saturday morning, but people were urged to closely monitor the storm's progress. The rainfall has the potential to cause dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep areas and places where the ground remains saturated, the center said.

The northeast coast of the Big Island saw the heaviest total rainfall from Lala, at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), according to the weather service. About 9,000 customers on the Big Island remained without power Saturday, according to poweroutage.us.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and other state officials held a news conference ahead of Moke, urging people to prepare by restocking food, medicine and other essentials.

“There’s definitely tension in the air” at the thought of more rain in communities that floodwaters turned into rivers, said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a teacher living in Keaau, on the east side of the Big Island.

Associated Press writer Alexa St. John contributed from Detroit.

This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Moke advancing towards Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. (NOAA via AP)

A teenager wades through a pool of water in a washed-out section of a damaged road in Mountain View, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A woman and child walk past a debris-strewn street in Naalehu, Hawaii, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)