Five star All Blacks cut Los Pumas to shreds

New Zealand thrashed Argentina 39-0 in a one-sided Rugby Championship clash at CBUS Super Stadium in Queensland, Australia.

Luke Jacobson bagged a brace as New Zealand cruised to another bonus-point win in The Rugby Championship – and remain top of the table after the five-try to nil demolition.

The game played out almost exactly as the last time these two teams met when the three-time world champions won 38-0 in November 2020 in the Tri-Nations.

This could have been a cricket score, but poor handling and brave defending kept the Kiwis from mounting another half-century.

New Zealand averaged six tries a game versus Australia over three Bledisloe Cup matches, managed five in Queensland.

Ian Foster’s men have now won their last seven Tests by an average of 40 points; they are favourites to lift the trophy after another impressive display.

Kiwis take control with their trademark strikes on either side of halftime to break the opposition’s spirits

Rieko Ioane, Sevu Reece, and Dalton Papalii crossed in the first half as the All Blacks took a commanding three tries to nil 22-0 lead.

Beauden Barrett kicked a penalty and converted Ioane’s try, while younger brother Jordie converted Papalii’s late score.

Jacobson’s double and Jordie Barrett’s penalty and two conversions added the opposition’s woe.

The younger Barrett kicked three conversions and a penalty to his older brother’s penalty and conversion.

The Kiwis dominated the first 40 minutes with 71% possession and 80% territory as the Pumas made 133 tackles to 42.

This is the third time in the 2021 Rugby Championship that Mario Ledesma’s side has not scored a try in the first half, and back-to-back Tests versus Foster’s charges that they were nilled.

Pablo Matera received a late yellow card for cynical play three minutes after the hooter. The Kiwis struck from the lineout when Papalii crashed over.

Nicolas Sanchez missed a long-range penalty on 24 minutes, which was the only time the South Americans looked like scoring in the first stanza.

Carlos Muzzio also saw yellow as Argentina fell apart.

Jacobson dotted down twice after the interval as New Zealand turned the screw; it could have been worse had some poor handling by the men in black.

Jordie Barrett added a late penalty as the game came to its conclusion.

Argentina finished the game with more yellow cards than points. This is tough to do in rugby, and they remain rooted to the bottom of the log with three big defeats.

Two late strikes see All Blacks pull away after a dominant first half in Queensland

A powerful run by Reece set up Beauden Barrett, whose pass was knocked down by Bautista Delguy, but bounced over the goal line and gathered Rieko Ioane to claim his 30th Test try after 10 minutes. Beauden converted.

Four minutes later, Jordie Barrett gathered Beauden’s crossfield kick with an acrobatic take, but the fullback dotted down on the dead-ball line.

Sanchez missed his only shot at goal soon afterwards.

Foster’s men began to ramp up the tempo, keeping Ledesma’s men camped inside their 22, but could not cross.

Beauden added a penalty 10 minutes later to increase his side’s lead before two late scores effectively killed the game as a contest.

Reece ducked and dived underneath props Santiago Medrano and Facundo Gigena to score his 10th Test try after some more intense pressure by the Kiwis on the Pumas’ try line.

Barrett missed the conversion, but after Matera’s yellow card, Papalii flopped over from the resulting driving maul.

It was the flanker’s third Test try of his career.

Jordie Barrett took over kicking duties and slotted the touchline conversion to open up a four-goal lead.

New Zealand run away with the game and all five points

The second stanza was much the same as the first as the Kiwis upped the tempo and increased the intensity.

Argentina’s foray into opposition territory ended with nothing; instead, TJ Perenara took a quick-tap, sending David Havili away.

Rieko Ioane combined with Bridge as the All Blacks went from 22 to 22. The ball was recycled to Beauden Barrett, whose magic shredded the Pumas defence.

The 30-year-old standoff danced through four tackles before sending Jacobson away with an audacious out-the-back-door pass for the No. 8’s second Test try.

Jordie converted to make it 29-0 eight minutes into the second half.

Wave after wave of black jerseys swamped the beleaguered men in sky blue and white hoops.

Sanchez limped off after a disappointing but historic 90th Test match on 54 minutes.

The 32-year-old playmaker is now the most-capped Argentinian player of all time.

The Kiwis had three tries correctly chalked off by the TMO in 11 minutes; Reece, Bridge, and Ethan Blackadder all had tries disallowed.

Penalties mounted against the Pumas, and Muzzio went to the naughty step.

From an attacking scrum, Jacobson crashed over for his second try 12 minutes from time.

Jordie Barrett converted and added a penalty two minutes from time to cap another demolition job.

Final Score: New Zealand 39 (15) Argentina 0 (0)

Scorers

New Zealand
Tries – R. Ioane, Reece, Papalii, Jacobson (2)
Pen – B. Barrett, J. Barrett
Con – B. Barrett, J. Barrett (3)
Drop –
Cards –

Argentina
Tries –
Pen –
Con –
Drop –
Cards – Matera (Yellow, 43′), Muzzio (Yellow, 68′)

Match Officials

Referee:  Nic Berry (AUS)
Assistant Ref 1: Jaco Peyper (RSA)
Assistant Ref 2: Graham Cooper (AUS)
TMO: Brett Cronan (AUS)

Teams

New Zealand

15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 David Havili, 11 George Bridge, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Luke Jacobson, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Brodie Retallick (captain), 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe

Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Ethan Blackadder, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Damian McKenzie, 23 Quinn Tupaea

Argentina

15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Santiago Cordero, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Facundo Gigena

Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Carloe Muzzio, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Tomas Lavanini, 20 Juan Martin Gonzalez Samso, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Santiago Chocobares, 23 Emiliano Boffelli