All Blacks run riot in Mendoza
MATCH REPORT: New Zealand got their Rugby Championship campaign off to a flying start, recording a 41-12 win over Argentina on Saturday in Mendoza.
With just two months to go before the World Cup kicks off in France, the All Blacks ran in seven tries to Los Pumas’ two in Mendoza.
*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!
Ian Foster’s men had an incredible start, racing to a 31-0 lead at half-time.
The All Blacks crossed for three tries in the first 12 minutes alone to silence a sold-out crowd at Estadio Malvinas and were never threatened from there by the error-prone Los Pumas.
New Zealand were unable to assert the same authority in the second half, having threatened to surpass their record-winning margin on Argentina’s soil of 54-15 in Plata in 1991.
It was nevertheless an impressive start to the year for Ian Foster’s All Blacks, who endured a turbulent 2022 season when they suffered four defeats including a historic loss to Argentina in Christchurch.
The Los Pumas couldn’t generate the same intensity, with their forwards often on the back foot.
The hosts conceded a stream of scrum penalties against the impressive New Zealand pack and lacked rhythm on their few attacking opportunities.
Damian McKenzie, a surprise selection to start at flyhalf ahead of Richie Mo’unga, landed only three of his seven conversion attempts for New Zealand but was an impressive performer in general play.
The closest the Los Pumas came to scoring in the first half was in the opening 30 seconds when a McKenzie clearing kick was charged down on New Zealand’s tryline.
The All Blacks responded with a barrage of tries to the trio of Hurricanes players Dane Coles, Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett.
Jordie Barrett’s try was the pick of them, exchanging passes with brother Beauden in a sweeping counter-attack.
Midfield back Rieko Ioane busted through two weak tackles to extend New Zealand’s lead on the half-hour mark before scrumhalf Aaron Smith crossed near the interval.
Pumas No.8 Rodrigo Bruni was shown a yellow card for a professional foul during the lead-up to Smith’s try.
The home side survived the period down to 14 men and opened the second-half scoring when prop Lucio Sordoni burrowed over.
Fullback Beauden Barrett responded for the All Blacks following a brilliant McKenzie break before wing Emoni Narawa capped an impressive Test debut with a try in the closing minutes.
Veteran Pumas hooker Agustin Creevy came off the bench to batter his way over for a converted try in the last act of the game.
The scorers:
For Argentina:
Tries: Sordoni, Creevy
Con: Boffelli,
For New Zealand:
Tries: Coles, Savea, J.Barrett, Ioane, Smith, B.Barrett, Narawa
Cons: McKenzie 3
Yellow card: Rodrigo Bruni (Argentina, 40 – repeated infringements)
Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Lucio Cinti, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Augustin Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Pedro Rubiolo, 20 Sanriago Grondona, 21 Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Matias Orlando.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (captain), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Dalton Papali’i, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Richie Mo’unga, 23 Braydon Ennor.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
