All Blacks 50–19 Bulls: Anton Segner Stars, Clean Sweep Complete, Springboks Test Series Looms

Anton Segner: Man of the Match and "Star in the Making"

Loose forward Anton Segner was the standout performer, earning Man of the Match honours in a display that multiple outlets called a "star in the making" performance . His statistical output was exceptional:

• 13 tackles (team-high) and 12 carries
• 3 turnovers won, including a crucial jackal steal five metres from his own line and another inside the 22 minutes later
• Rated 8.5/10 by RugbyPass, described as a "superb performance to put his hand up for a Test jersey"

Coach Dave Rennie called it a "massive" performance , and the NZ Herald wrote that Segner "played like an All Blacks No 7" and will be "hard to leave out of the Test 23" .

Selection Dilemmas Across the Squad

Several players pushed hard for Test selection:

• Rieko Ioane was a "big winner," thriving in the free-flowing attack
• Josh Moorby opened the scoring and grabbed a double, making a strong case for the fullback jersey
• Leroy Carter scored two tries (including one in the 66th minute) and was dangerous on the wing
• Anton Lienert-Brown was excellent at second five-eighths, linking well in the backline

The depth on display — after the 54-0 demolition of the Sharks had already heightened competition — means Rennie faces genuinely difficult calls across the backline and back row ahead of the first Test .

Beauden Barrett's Below-Par Rating

Beauden Barrett, starting at fullback in a bid to audition for the No 15 jersey after struggling at fly-half against the Stormers, received a 5/10 rating from RugbyPass . He played a role in setting up Moorby's first two tries with well-timed distribution and a skip pass, but struggled under the high ball, was beaten by Stravino Jacobs for the Bulls' second try, and overall did not seize the opportunity . Planet Rugby noted he was "given a chance to audition for the full-back role at altitude" but delivered an underwhelming outing, with Damian McKenzie's fitness cloud adding further complication .

What It Means for the Springboks Series

South African commentators framed the performance as the All Blacks "firing a warning to the Boks" and suggested they will be "a handful" at Ellis Park . The series is widely considered a massive step up in intensity from the provincial games, with the Springboks expected to provide far stiffer resistance.

Four-Test Series Schedule

The All Blacks' eight-match, six-week "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry" tour concludes with a four-Test Freedom Cup series against the world champion Springboks :

The fourth Test is a historic neutral-venue fixture in Baltimore, marking the first time a Springboks-All Blacks Test will be played on US soil . Exact dates for Tests 2 and 3 were not confirmed in the available sources, but the tour runs early August to mid-September .