New Zealand goes into round three of The Rugby Championship against Argentina top of the table after disposing of Australia, winning the Bledisloe Cup for a 19th consecutive year, as well.
Argentina picked up a 25-15 win over New Zealand on 14 November 2020 – their first and only win against the All Blacks in 31 Tests (D1, L29).
- Los Pumas were held scoreless in a 38-0 loss to New Zealand in their last encounter (28 November 2020).
- New Zealand has won their last seven Tests on the bounce by an average margin of 40 points per game; the last time they won more in succession was a nine-game streak from November 2017 to September 2018 which included a 46-24 win over Argentina.
- The South Americans have won three of their five previous Tests in Australia against teams other than the Wallabies (L2); although, they’ve won only one of three games against fellow Tier 1 opposition in that span.
- The All Blacks have had just 12 minutes and 53 seconds of possession per game in the 2021 edition of The Rugby Championship, the lowest of any team in the competition; despite this, they lead the competition in metres gained (615), clean breaks (15), and points scored (48) per game.
- Brodie Retallick is the fourth All Blacks captain of 2021.
- Julian Montoya has made 23 tackles throughout the first two rounds of the 2021 edition of The Rugby Championship, the third-most of any player in the competition and the most by any player who is yet to miss a single tackle.
- Nicolas Sanchez becomes Argentina’s most-capped Test rugby player of all time with 90 caps.
BREAKING! There was a late change for the All Blacks. Anton Lienert-Brown went out with a hamstring strain, Rieko Ioane moved to outside centre and Quinn Tupaea went onto the bench.
Match detail
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In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEEP! Anthems and Haka, done and dusted! Round Three of the 2021 Rugby Championship is underway at CBUS Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
2.00: A physical start to the game, which should be brutal but blistering, sees the Pumas turn over the All Blacks after an early knock-on by the Kiwis.
3.00: Nicolas Sanchez makes a mini-break, but the ball is lost forward as Argentina tried to attack back on the inside channel. Karl Tu’inukuafe is off to the blood-bin.
6.00: Both teams going to the boot a lot hoping to capitalise on the opposition’s mistakes. A knock-on and a penalty by Nepo Laulala give Argentina a chance to put the Kiwis under pressure inside the 22.
8.00: Brodie Retallick gets over the ball and wins his team a penalty. Jordie Barrett clears.
9.00: Luke Jacobson, under pressure from two defenders, tries a basketball pass on his inside, but he passes the ball into touch instead. New Zealand does, however, get the lineout on the 22 after the clearance kick only goes 15 metres.
10.00: TRY! A powerful run by Sevu Reece sets up Beauden Barrett, whose pass is knocked down by Bautista Delguy, but gathered over the try line by Rieko Ioane to claim his 30th Test try. 5-0
12.00: CONVERSION! Beauden Barrett slots the wide kick. 7-0
13.00: A wonderful kick by scrum-half TJ Perenara pins the Pumas inside their 22, Argentina wins a turnover, and clears the danger.
14.00: NO TRY! Jordie Barrett gathers Beauden’s crossfield kick with an acrobatic take, but the fullback dots down on the dead ball line – we should change the rules and award a try for that incredible piece of skill. Boo to the rules! 7-0
16.00: New Zealand kick to the corner, but a second lineout steal, this time by Guido Petti, sees Argentina get out of jail.
17.00: Rieko Ioane’s linebreak ends with a Kiwis’ lineout on the Pumas’ 5m after Ioane’s pass was intercepted. Reece would have scored but for a better pass by Ioane.
18.00: The ABs go quickly, but are held up over the goal line for a Pumas goal line drop out.
21.00: Argentina is under the pump on the Gold Coast. New Zealand has had 70% territory and 60% possession in the first quarter.
24.00: MISS! Nicolas Sanchez’s kick falls short of the post and just to the right. 7-0
27.00: New Zealand goes 12 phases but cannot break down this stubborn Pumas defence. Julian Montoya wins the turnover penalty, but Sanchez fails to find touch; that is poor by the flyhalf.
29.00: Beauden Barrett enters the ruck from the side giving the South Americans another reprieve.
33.00: NZ has had all the possession (66%) and territory (75%), while the Pumas have had to make double the tackles (96 to 42) as they hold out the Kiwis.
34.00: PENALTY! Beauden Barrett increases the lead to two scores. 10-0
36.00: The dead-ball line beats Jordie Barrett again, who cannot latch onto his brother’s grubber.
37.00: TRY! Sevu Reece ducks and dives 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. 15-0
39.00: MISS! Barrett pulls his kick well wide. 15-0
41.00: Kiwis opt to kick a penalty to touch and go for five instead of three.
43.00: YELLOW CARD! The All Blacks go 11 phases, win another penalty after Pablo Matera gives away a cynical play. 15-0
43.00: TRY! Dalton Papalii crashes over the whitewash for his third Test score after another bulldozing driving maul. 20-0
45.00: CONVERSION! Jordie Barrett takes over kicking duties and slots the touchline conversion. 22-0
The halftime score was All Blacks 22 Los Pumas 0
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway down under.
44.00: Referee Nic Berry, yes him, awards the Kiwis a scrum despite Scott Barrett being held up in the tackle.
46.00: TRY! Nothing comes from Argentina’s foray into opposition territory; instead, Perenara took a quick-tap, sending Havili away. The ball was recycled to Beadeun Barrett, whose magic shredded the Pumas defence. The 30-year-old standoff danced through four tackles before sending Luke Jacobson away with an audacious out-the-back-door pass for the score. 27-0
48.00: CONVERSION! Jordie Barrett adds the extars. 29-0
53.00: Mario Ledesma cuts a lonely figure in the coaches’ box. His team is being schooled by the Kiwis.
54.00: Sanchez limps off on a forgettable game on his historic 90th Test.
56.00: NO TRY! George Bridge slides in the corner but he goes out in the dead-ball line. 29-0
59.00: NO TRY! Sevu Reece knocks on trying to reach out and score. 29-0
63.00: Nic Berry warns the Pumas that he is going to his pocket if they keep infringing in the ‘Red Zone’.
65.00: New Zealand keep pounding away, but some good defending, and poor handling, is costing the Kiwis.
67.00: NO TRY! Ethan Blackadder has his score chalked off for a double movement. 29-0
67.00: YELLOW CARD! Carlos Muzzio is off. 29-0
68.00: TRY! Jacobson gets his second. 34-0
69.00: CONVERSION! J. Barrett adds two more. 36-0
73.00: The game is slowing down as both teams take water and tend to injuries.
78.00: PENALTY! Barrett adds three. 39-0
82.00: Argentina attack after the hooter, they need to get more points than yellow cards.
83.00: New Zealand keeps Los Pumas out, nilling the South Americans for the second time in a row.
FULL TIME
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The final score is 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 Carlos Muzzio, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Tomas Lavanini, 20 Juan Martin Gonzalez Samso, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Santiago Chocobares, 23 Emiliano Boffelli
