All Blacks hold off fiery Pumas

Now this was a Test match, a match worthy of a Rugby World Cup played before a record World Cup crowd in great Wembley Stadium. The only sad part of the match was the admirable, thoroughly praiseworthy Pumas emerged with no log points from the match – no points but heaps of honour as they gave the All Blacks a torrid time.

The Pumas of old with scrum and maul and nothing after scrum and maul are a distant and primitive ancestor of these creative, exciting, risk-taking Pumas. Maybe their involvement in SANZAR's competitions has changed perspective. Whatever the reason, the change is welcome, as was obvious in the crowd reaction to their performance on Sunday afternoon in London. The All Blacks will know that they have been in a really tough match. In fact the rest of the World Cup may be much easier for them.

The field at the packed stadium was immaculate as Keven Mealamu led the All Blacks in an triangular haka with Richie McCaw at its apex. Then Daniel Carter kicked off. But after Marcelo Bosch leapt high to catch an up-and-under by Juan Martín Hernández and kicked down towards the New Zealand line, Argentina had a period of eager attack, sharp, direct and brave, only for penalties to hammer them.

At the start it seemed that the Pumas were about to be blown away. They were rugged and competitive but after 19 minutes had been penalised seven times, had a player in the sin bin and were down 9-0 as Carter slotted the penalties that were within  range. The second earned flank Pablo Matera a yellow card when he tackled Aaron Smith before the artful scrumhalf had run even five metres from a tapped penalty. The third penalty was a strange one when 20-year-old Puma lock Guido Petti was penalised for mysterious reasons – apparently adjudged offside after a tackle at which no ruck was formed.  But soon Petti put things right.

The Pumas went on the attack – surging ahead with pick-'n-drive till Leonardo Senatore was brought down right at the line. But Petti picked up and plunged over for the first try of the match, which Nicolás Sánchez converted. And so it was 9-7 to the 14-man Pumas after 22 minutes.

In scoring Petti's head had come into contact  with Carter's lower leg – an obviously accidental contact – and the young lock was groggy as he was led from the field, his place taken by Mariano Galarza who proceeded to dominate the Puma line-out.

But not only did the Pumas score against them, but soon afterwards the All Blacks had the ignominy of having their captain, the great Richie McCaw, sent to the sin bin. The All Blacks were penalised at a tackle. Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe took a tap penalty but stumbled as he passed. The TMO alerted the referee who then saw McCaw, lying on the ground, swing out a leg to trip Fernández Lobbe. Like Matera McCaw went to the sin bin, loudly booed by the crowd who had seen the action on the big screen. Sánchez goaled the subsequent penalty and the Pumas – mirabile narratu – led 10-9.

Later McCaw was joined by Conrad Smith who misbehaved at a tackle when the Pumas were on the attack and Sánchez made it 13-9 after 38 minutes and the All Blacks were down to 13 men. On the stroke of half-time Carter goaled his fourth and the score at the break was 13-12. The match was that close.

McCaw was back for the second half but the All Blacks were penalised for offside and Sánchez extended the Pumas' lead to 16-12 after 42 minutes as both teams went at it hammer and tongs.

The All Blacks got stronger as the game went on and the momentum – and perhaps the fitness – was on their side. They battered at the Puma line till Aaron Smith scurried across for a try which Carter converted. 19-16 after 58 minutes.

The All Blacks attacked spreading the ball wide – far out to the right and when they came back far left the Pumas had run out of defenders and Sam Cane ran round for a try at the posts. 26-16 after 66 minutes.

There was no further scoring as the All Blacks carried on attacking and the Pumas defended with dogged zeal. Sonny Bill Williams came on to replace Ma'a Nonu and made a huge impact till the end of the match.

When the final whistle went to end the enthralling encounter, there were two exhausted teams on the field.

Man of the Match: Resisting the temptation to choose the whole brave body of Pumas, we choose Kieran Read of New Zealand.

Moment of the Match: Guido Petti's try  for what it meant to the match. It ensured a battle to the end.

Villain of the Match: Richie McCaw. What he did was unworthy of a player of his stature.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:

Tries: A Smith, Cane

Cons: Carter 2

Pens: Carter 4

For Argentina:

Try: Petti

Con: Sanchez

Pens: Sanchez 3

Yellow cards: Pablo Matera (Argentina, 9 – Foul play, cynical infringement) Richie McCaw (New Zealand, 29 – Foul play, tripping) Conrad Smith (New Zealand, 37 – Offside, cynical infringement)

Teams: 

New Zealand: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Tony Woodcock.  

Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Sam Cane, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Sonny Bill Williams. 

Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Juan Martin Hernández, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera,  18 Ramino Herrera, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Jerónimo De La Fuente, 23 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), Angus Gardner (Australia)

TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)