Back to No.1: All Blacks see off Los Pumas with late flourish
MATCH REPORT: New Zealand’s Samisoni Taukei’aho scored two late tries to seal a 41-24 Rugby Championship win over Argentina and return the All Blacks to the top of the world rankings on Saturday.
Ahead 31-10 at the interval, New Zealand held off a second-half fightback from the Pumas in Cordoba and ultimately emerged victors by scoring six tries to three.
The All Blacks clinched the world number one ranking for the first time since 2021, leapfrogging world champions South Africa, who suffered a 22-38 defeat to Australia in Johannesburg in the tournament opener.
Wing Sevu Reece also scored a double for the visitors while flyhalf Beauden Barrett kicked 11 points and was a controlling figure with his tactical kicking.
Barrett’s opposite Tomas Albornoz scored 14 points, including a try, but the Pumas were unable to end their winless record on home soil against New Zealand, which stretches to 15 matches.
The result continues an unbeaten start to the year for the All Blacks, who swept France 3-0 in their June home series.
Reece scored the opening try after an early Barrett penalty before Argentina responded, when pressure created an overlap for winger Rodrigo Isgro.
Pumas prop Mayco Vivas was shown a yellow card for a professional foul and New Zealand capitalised on their one-man advantage.
Fullback Will Jordan sliced through on the halfway line and sent scrumhalf Cortez Ratima clear for the best try of the match and a 17-7 lead.
The visitors took control late in the first half through a try to loose forward Ardie Savea – arguably the game’s best player – followed by Reece’s second score.
Albornoz kick-started Argentina’s second-half rearguard with a tackle-busting try.
New Zealand lost centre Billy Proctor to a yellow card and the home side closed to within seven points through a try to loose forward Joaquin Oviedo.
However, All Blacks replacement hooker Taukei’aho sucked the energy out of the crowd by barging across to score twice in the last 12 minutes.
The scorers:
For Argentina:
Tries: Isgró, Albornoz, Oviedo
Cons: Albornoz 3
Pen: Albornoz
For New Zealand:
Tries: Reece 2, Ratima, Savea, Taukei’aho 2
Cons: B Barrett 4
Pen: B Barrett
Yellow cards: Mayco Vivas (Argentina, 18′ – cynical play); Billy Proctor (New Zealand, 59′ – cynical play, slowing the ball down), Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand, 78′ – foul play, dangerous tackle)
Teams:
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Bautista Delguy, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 1 Mayco Vivas.
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Simón Benítez Cruz, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Justo Piccardo.
New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Damian McKenzie.
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
