Rugby Championship: Profligate All Blacks pommel Pumas

New Zealand pommeled Argentina 13-36 to remain unbeaten in the 2021 Rugby Championship at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.

New Zealand ran in five tries to one to claim the bonus-point win and put one hand on the prestigious Southern Hemisphere trophy.

Patrick Tuipulotu, TJ Perenara, Tupou Vaa’i (twice), and Samisoni Taukei’aho all dotted down for the All Blacks in the bonus-point win in Queensland.

Jordie Barrett kicked three conversions and a penalty in the first stanza and one conversion in the second for 11 points.

The win sees the Kiwis also go to number one in the World Rankings after South Africa’s heavy 30-17 defeat to Australia earlier in the evening at the same ground.

The men from the Land of the Long White Cloud sit top of The Rugby Championship table with four wins.

Emilio Boffelli scored all the Pumas’ points. He crossed for his side’s only try, which he converted to go with a penalty in either half.

The left-wing took over kicking duties with Nicolás Sánchez out injured and Domingo Miotti on the bench for Santiago Carreras, who started at flyhalf.

Despite the heavy defeat, the Pumas will be happy that they ended a two-game losing streak without scoring any points.

New Zealand wins the match in the first 40 minutes

New Zealand led 3-24 at halftime after three converted scores by Tuipulotu, Perenara, and Vaa’i.

Jordie Barrett also cancelled out an eighth-minute Boffelli penalty, the fullback was also perfect from the kicking tee with four from four before the break.

Mario Ledesma’s side has now failed to score a try in all four first halves of the 2021 Rugby Championship.

Ledesma’s blunt charges only managed nine and three points against South Africa before being nilled in Round Three versus the Kiwis last weekend.

Argentina has only managed to score twice in the tournament; in the 10-29 loss to the Springboks in Round Two in Gqeberha, and today when Boffelli scored after the interval.

Things could – and should have – been worse for Los Pumas.

The All Blacks had three tries – all correctly – ruled out by the officials, or this would have been another humiliating rout.

Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane (twice) had tries chalked off for various reasons, but all three should have been scored.

Profligate All Blacks punish Pumas despite officials chalking off tries

In the fifth minute, Tuipulotu took Ardie Savea’s pop-pass and crashed over for his sixth Test try from close range.

Jordan’s break set up the score when the winger was tackled on the line, the ball was recycled to the lock to score.

Barrett converted before Boffelli’s first penalty made it 3-10.

On 17 minutes Jordan had a try chalked off for a forward pass by Taukei’aho.

Five minutes later, Rieko Ioane had his first try disallowed after Jordan’s forward pass.

Jordan claimed Damian McKenzie’s chip kick but passed forward to the supporting Ioane, who scored under the posts. The TMO had a look and gave the right call.

It was only a matter of time before New Zealand managed to find a way over the whitewash.

Perenara broke to the blindside from a scrum on the opposition’s 5m, collected Hoskins Sotutu’s pass, and burrowed under the cover defenders to score his 14th Test try.

Ioane got pinged for a double movement, two minutes later, as he attempted to score under the polls.

However, it made no difference because the Kiwis did what they always do: score before and after the break.

Foster’s men went 15 phases before Vaa’i found himself alone on the wing for a walkover score. Barrett converted both.

Argentina fight back, but New Zealand hold on for the comfortable win

Boffelli kicked an early second-half penalty to double the South Americans’ score, but Foster’s men hit back with a fourth try.

Some slick handling saw hooker Taukei’aho go over in the right-hand corner. Ardie Savea was again involved with his second try assist.

Barrett could not convert, his attempt hit the post and rebounded out.

Argentina managed to finally get a try, and it was a quality score to boot.

Boffelli claimed Carreras’ pinpoint crossfield kick and beat Jordan and Jordie Barrett to the corner flag.

The 26-year-old utility back converted from the touchline to give his side their second double-digit points score in the competition.

Although Los Pumas dominated the last 20 minutes, they could not get through the black wall.

With time running out, Vaa’i scored his second under the posts to secure the bonus point, Barrett added the extras to seal a comfortable 23-point victory.

Final Score: Argentina 13 (3) New Zealand 36 (17)

Scorers

Argentina
Tries – Boffelli
Pen – Boffelli (2)
Con – Boffelli
Drop –
Cards –

New Zealand
Tries – Tuipulotu, Perenara, Vaa’i (2), Taukei’aho
Pen – J. Barrett
Con – J. Barrett (4)
Drop –
Cards –

Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper (RSA)
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry (AUS)
Assistant Ref 2: Jordan Way (AUS)
TMO: Damon Murphy (AUS)

Teams

Argentina

15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martín González, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Facundo Gigena

Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Carlos Muzzio, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Matias Moroni

New Zealand

15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 George Bridge, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Ardie Savea (captain), 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Joe Moody

Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 George Bower, 18 Ofa Tuungafasi, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Braydon Ennor