Argentina’s Pumas host Rugby Championship leaders New Zealand this weekend at José Amalfitani in Buenos Aires Argentina.
This will be the All Blacks fifth visit to José Amalfitani and on their last visit, the New Zealanders won 36-17.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: BEEP! BEEP! We are underway after an amazing a cappella rendition of Marcha Patriótica, Argentina’s national anthem. Estadio Vélez Sarsfield was silent during Kapa o Pango, performed by the All Blacks and led by TJ Peranara.
3.00: Argentina, once again, start poorly, letting the kick-off bounce and ceding possession straight away. New Zealand gets the penalty and Beauden Barrett calls for the tee.
4.00: PENALTY! Beauden Barrett gives the All Blacks the lead: 0-3
5.00: PENALTY! Nicolas Sanchez levels immediately: 3-3
7.00: TRY Kieran Read! The Kiwis go through the hands, Beauden Barrett popped to Sonny Bill Williams, who popped a one-handed offload to Damian McKenzie. The fullback sends a pass to Waisake Naholo who gives the ball to the skipper on the touchline and Read goes over in the corner: 3-8
8.00: MISS! Barrett can’t add the extras: 3-8
10.00: Los Pumas break from inside their half and Sanchez puts in a lovely cross-field kick which goes out inside the Kiwi 22.
11.00: Argentina win a turnover and attack out wide, but the All Blacks make the tackle and the ball’s in touch. But then some ill-discipline by the home team sees them concede a free-kick at the lineout. Poor from the two locks Guido Petti and Tomas Lavanini.
13.00: The visitors are inside the Pumas’ 22. Rieko Ioane goes close. Argentina almost wins another turnover, but to the disgust of Agustin Creevy, referee Jaco Peyper awards the Kiwis another penalty.
14.00: Read calls for another scrum. New Zealand is going backwards in the attack, but the two Argentina locks are penalised again, this time for offsides.
16.00: TRY Damian McKenzie! New Zealand dismantled the home team’s scrum. It would almost certainly have been a penalty try but the fullback takes it quickly and darts over, under the posts, for the score: 3-13
17.00: CONVERSION Barrett: 3-15
19.00: TRY Waisake Naholo! Sensational from Beauden Barrett, who shrugs off Matias Orlando and Tomas Cubelli, then sends an audacious no-look pass out the back-door to Naholo. The winger sprints clear, beating Emiliano Boffelli before scoring: 3-20
20.00: CONVERSION Barrett: 3-22
22.00: YELLOW CARD Tomas Lavanini! The lock is sent to the sin-bin after Peyper checks with TMO Marius Jonker for a dangerous tackle. It looked like a shoulder charge on Williams by Lavanini, but nothing ton cynical, however, that is the third infringement by the No 5.
27.00: TRY Read at the double! Some more brilliance by Beauden Barrett, who throws a pass between his legs to McKenzie on the touchline. The fullback fends off Moroni, draws the defenders and sends his skipper away for the try: 3-29
28.00: CONVERSION Barrett: 3-29
29.00: Argentina are losing the plot here and starting to cause scuffles with the All Blacks; they are being outplayed and are very frustrated.
33.00: Argentina has a rare attack and is inside the Kiwi 22. But, as per usual, the All Blacks win the ball at the ruck and start a counter attack, which breaks down.
34.00: The Pumas have missed 14 tackles to New Zealand’s one and are leaking penalties at every phase. They need to get composure and try to build on some possession. They have a scrum on the far side of the field, near the halfway line. Reset.
36.00: Sonny Bill is penalised; Sanchez puts the ball out near the corner flag and the crowd goes wild (seriously).
37.00: Argentina gets their driving maul going and its brought down. They will try again after the penalty.
38.00: It is collapsed again. Peyper goes to the pocket and sends Matt Todd to the bin.
38.00: YELLOW CARD Matt Todd! Read is very lucky because he was at fault before and again, now. Todd should still be on the field, but hey.
40.00: Argentina opts for a scrum. They get a good shove on, but the scrum goes down. It is reset. Another reset as the hooter sounds.
41.00: Peyper calls for a “time-out” and calls the two hookers over for a chat. The South African referee wants “stability” from the front rows.
42.00: MASSIVE SCRUM! Kane Hames pops Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and the All Blacks win the penalty. The ball is kicked out and it is half-time.
The half-time score was Los Pumas 3 All Blacks 29
41.00: BEEP! BEEP! We are back underway in Buenos Aires. Not sure what Daniel Hourcade would have said to his team that they would not have heard before, but they must stop the bleeding or this could get really messy.
44.00: Vaea Fifita goes close but is tackled into touch after trying to hurdle the defender. Argentina has the ball and clear to the Kiwis’ half.
47.00: The ball spills loose on the All Blacks’ goal line and the Kiwis launched a counter-attack, however, the move breaks down and Los Pumas wins the penalty. Sanchez kicks to the corner.
48.00: Argentina drive the All Blacks back and then Lavanini breaks for the try-line but knocks on. It was Beauden Barrett who knocked the ball loose. Scrum, Argentina.
49.00: The home team goes wide to the short-side but are tackled out into touch. It will be a 22 drop-out. Oh dear.
50.00: Todd is penalised for an early tackle, the Pumas take it quickly and are camped outside the Kiwis’ 22. Read hits Orlando high and could be in trouble here. It is high and around the neck.
51.00: YELLOW CARD! Read is in the bin for 10 minutes.
52.00: Sanchez kicks to the corner as the All blacks wring the changes. Ramiro Herrera drops the ball in contact and the visitors clear. This is great D by the Kiwis. Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith will be very happy.
53.00: Argentina has the ball on the New Zealand try-line. They go to the boot with a cross-kick, but some more defence by the All Blacks stops the blue and white juggernaut. This is amazing defence. Peyper is going to the TMO – again and for the umpteenth time. He’s checking for a dangerous tackle by Luke Romano on Martin Landajo.
53.00: Peyper and Jonker are happy that Romano did nothing wrong and is checking to see if Juan Manuel Leguizamón has scored.
54.00: TRY Juan Manuel Leguizamón! It’s been given because Peyper must have seen the grounding: 8-29
55.00: CONVERSION Sanchez: 10-29
61.00: TRY, Naholo gets his second! Wait, we are checking for a forward pass in the build-up. No, it’s forward from Naholo to Codie Taylor. Scrum to Argentina inside their 22.
64.00: The All blacks are starting to regain their first-half mojo. They have a lineout on the halfway line. They’ve not scored for half an hour, wow!
66.00: This has been a defiant second-half display by the home team.
67.00: YELLOW CARD Ramiro Herrera! The replacement prop is penalised for a second collapse, three penalties in total and is off.
72.00: DEBUT! David Havili is on for his first Test. McKenzie moves to the wing after Ioane leaves the field and Havili to fullback.
74.00: Argentina’s defence has been superb since the break. Jeronimo de la Fuente has been the rock, despite the first-half deluge of tries.
76.00: Havili scythes through the middle of the field, ghosting through the Pumas’ defenders. However, the Pumas get back and make the try-saving tackle on Ngani Laumape.
78.00: New Zealand’s pack marches their opponents down the field and win a penalty for coming in from the side of the maul. Herrera is back on the field. Barrett kicks to the Pumas’ 22.
80.00: Petti is on the floor injured. New Zealand has a penalty for offsides. There are eight seconds remaining.
82.00: TRY David Havili! Read picks up from the base of the scrum, popped to Perenara, who offloaded to the fullback, who took the ball flat and at speed before crashing over to score: 10-34
83.00: CONVERSION Barrett: 10-36
Full-time
The final score is Argentina 10 (3) New Zealand 36 (29)
Scorers
Argentina
Tries – Leguizamón
Pen – Sanchez
Con – Sanchez
Drop –
Cards – Lavanini (Yellow, 22nd minute), Herrera (Yellow, 67th minute)
New Zealand
Tries – Read (2), McKenzie, Naholo, Havili
Pen – B. Barrett
Con – B. Barrett (4)
Drop –
Cards – Todd (Yellow, 39th minute), Read (Yellow, 51st minute)
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Ref 1: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Ref 2: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Teams
Argentina
15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Lucas Noguera.
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Ramiro Herrera, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Juan Martin Hernández, 23 Santiago Cordero.
New Zealand
15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Kane Hames.
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 Thomas Perenara, 22 Ngani Laumape, 23 David Havili
