New Zealand battered Argentina 53-3 after a clinical 2022 Rugby Championship performance at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton.
New Zealand romped to an impressive seven tries to nill win over Argentina to get their stuttering Rugby Championship campaign back on track.
Ethan de Groot, Caleb Clarke, and Rieko Ioane all scored in the first half as the All blacks led 24-3.
Jordie Barrett, Ardie Savea, Brodie Retallick, and Beauden Barrett all crossed after the interval as the defending champions bounced back from last weekend’s ignominious defeat.
Richie Mo’unga ran the show at first five-eighth, his kicking out of hand was superb, pinning the tourists inside their half and also allowing his chasers to compete in the air.
Mo’unga kicked six from seven (2 pens, 4 cons: 14 pts) in tough conditions as the wind swirled around the open FMG Stadium.
Jordie Barrett added two conversions to his second-half try (9 pts).
Emiliano Boffelli kicked his team’s only points in the 33rd minute.
The two teams battled torrential rain and blustery conditions, but New Zealand powered to a pressure-relieving victory over Argentina in the Waikato.
This game was won off the back of a dominant forwards display. The Kiwis rampaged at the ruck, bulldozed the visitors in the tight phases and cut open the South Americans with relative ease.
The All Blacks handling was impeccable, they only made three handling errors in terrible conditions, with 55% possession.
The Pumas, conversely, made 11 handling errors and could not win any of the aerial duels as New Zealand ran riot.
Ian Foster made no changes to the side that lost 25-18 in Christchurch. The beleaguered head coach entrusted his charges to end New Zealand’s longest-ever home losing record.
This hard-fought win also put an end to an unprecedented three home Test losses in a row in the country’s 119-year history.
Michael Cheika will be seething: How did his team go from an incredible defensive display in Christchurch to this dreadful performance in Hamilton a week later?
Cheika’s side lost 15 turnovers, and two lineouts, and got smashed in the scrums while gaining less than half the amount of metres as Foster’s.
This was the archetypal Jekyll and Hyde Argentina the rugby world has come to know: superb one week, atrocious the next.
New Zealand won the game in the first half after a dominant forward display and clinical finishing when inside the red zone.
The All Blacks took an unassailable 21-point lead into the sheds against an error-strewn Pumas team, who could not replicate Christchurch’s defensive display.
The All Blacks raced into a 21-minute 17-0 lead off the back of some excellent kicking and kick-chasing. Los Pumas could not weather the wet and windy conditions, making multiple unforced errors to gift the hosts a big lead.
All Blacks have had 74% possession and 55% territory, conceding only two turnovers to seven, with one handling error to five. Pumas are struggling in the wet.
Mo’unga opened the scoring in the third minute after Tomas Lavanini’s mistake led to a home team penalty.
Lavanini’s mistake was a sign of things to come as Marcos Kremer – magnificent last weekend – knocked on the restart.
It did not take Foster’s men long to claim the first try of the Test when De Groot ran a good angle, collecting Aaron Smith’s pop-pass to score next to the posts.
Will Jordan won the high ball, and Ioane cleaned up to set up the attack inside the Pumas’ 22 before Smith combined with the prop.
Mo’unga added the extras to make it 10-0 in the 11th minute.
The All Blacks used the high bomb to good effect. The visitors struggled with the conditions and unforced errors.
New Zealand’s kick-chase was excellent, while the Pumas’ handling, was poor.
The game was as good as over when the All Blacks scored their second try at the end of the first quarter to take a three-score lead.
Mo’unga kick-started the attack which led to his side’s second score.
The playmaker’s stab-grubber was collected by Jordan, who played Jordie Barrett before being tackled.
Slick handling between Sam Whitelock, Shannon Frizell and Sam Cane saw the ball move quickly to Ioane.
The 25-year-old raced down the left channel and drew Santiago Carreras before sending Clarke away in the corner. Mo’unga slotted the touchline conversion.
Boffelli put the Pumas on the board with a curling penalty goal, but that was as good as it would get.
The mistakes kept coming for Cheika’s team, who had Lavanini sent to the sin-bin in the 36th minute for cynical play near his team’s try line.
Samisoni Taukei’aho had a try chalked off for a Tyrel Lomax knock-on in the build-up to the hooker’s score. But the Kiwis kept coming.
Lavinini stayed in the bin. Cane opted for an attacking scrum because his side had a penalty advantage before the knock-on.
The All Blacks scrum bulldozed the opposition before Mo’unga’s deft pass sent Ioane away for his 32nd Test try.
Ioane timed his run to perfection, which saw him back cut through the defence to score under the posts. Mo’unga could not miss.
Things went from bad to worse for Los Pumas as the All Blacks ran riot, scoring four more times in the second stanza as Cheika’s side folded.
Carreras, who was accidentally injured by Cane, was replaced by Benjamin Urdapilleta.
Moments later, Mo’unga extended his side’s lead when Lavinini, not long back on, left his feet at the ruck.
George Bower and Juan Martin Gonzalez both thought they had scored, but the referee pulled back the play.
Before the hour, the penalties mounted for the hosts. Eventually, Nic Berry showed the home team a card.
Fletcher Newell went to the bin for a third penalty in quick succession on the try line.
Newell’s time on the sideline cost his team nothing. In fact, the hosts crossed twice, while the visitors did not score.
Lavanini went close, but could not ground the ball. The penalties kept flowing, and Urdapilleta kicked to the corner.
Nothing came from the Pumas’ pressure. Instead, more mistakes as the visitors squandered another chance to get a five-pointer when Kremer lost possession under pressure.
New Zealand turned on the style as Argentina wilted in the wet.
A sweeping attack from a defensive scrum, deep inside their 22, saw the Kiwis go coast-to-coast and score through Jordie Barrett.
Ioane started the attack with a linebreak from inside his 22. Ioane raced from his own 5m to past the opposition’s 10m line.
He popped to Finlay Christie, who combined with Cane. The ball was recycled to the right.
The All Blacks played hot potato before David Havili’s deft pass put Cane through a gap. The skipper drew their last defender before offloading to Barrett for his 19th Test try. Sensational.
Mo’unga could not miss from in front. things continued to get worse for the visitors, who could not do anything right.
Dane Coles combines with Savea off the back of the ruck to give the No 8 his 19th Test score. Retallick crashed over from close range to bring up the forty-burger.
There was still time for the home team to raise their bats after Argentina tried to score a try after the hooter.
Instead, the Kiwis won a penalty, and Whitelock – taking over from Cane – called for an attacking 5m scrum on the Pumas’ line.
Savea combined with Beauden Barrett, off the back of the scrum, and the playmaker scored his 41st Test try four minutes after the siren.
Final Score: New Zealand 53 (24) Argentina 3 (3)
Scorers
New Zealand
Tries – De Groot, Clarke, R. Ioane, J. Barrett, A. Savea, Retallick, B. Barrett
Pen – Mo’unga (2)
Con – Mo’unga (4), J. Barrett (2)
Drop –
Cards – Newell (Yellow, 57′)
Argentina
Tries –
Pen – Boffelli
Con –
Drop – Lavanini (Yellow, 36′)
Match Officials
Referee: Nic Berry [AUS]
Assistant Ref 1: Nika Amashukeli [Georgia]
Assistant Ref 2: Jordan Way [AUS]
TMO: Brian McNeice [IRE]
Teams
New Zealand
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 David Havili, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (captain), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Brodie Retallick, 20 Dalton Papali’i, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Quinn Tupaea
Argentina
15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Santiago Cordero, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Santiago Grondona, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 23 Lucio Cinti
