Kieran Read scored a brace as the All Blacks claimed a 36-10 bonus-point win over Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday. JON CARDINELLI reports.
The All Blacks may have been forgiven for going into this clash with a complacent attitude. Indeed, their status as 2017 Rugby Championship winners was confirmed when the Springboks and Wallabies drew in Bloemfontein earlier in the day.
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Yet the All Blacks made their intentions clear when they performed the Kapa o Pango haka shortly before kickoff in Buenos Aires. A side devoid of so many first choice players – Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Sam Cane and Liam Squire were rested for this clash – then proceeded to score three tries in the first 20 minutes.
Argentina failed to live with physicality of the All Blacks during that period. The Pumas defenders were guilty of sitting back and allowing the New Zealand ball-carriers to run at them.
The All Blacks put on an attacking masterclass in the first quarter. Their scrum was dominant. The performance by the forwards at the breakdowns and collisions allowed the backs to get onto the front foot at a frightening pace.
Halfbacks Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett were in sublime touch. The All Blacks flyhalf threw a couple of miracle passes during this period, and the Argentina defence had no response.
Read’s outstanding support play was rewarded with two tries. Damian McKenzie tapped quickly and scored after the All Blacks scrum won yet another penalty close to the line.
Lock Tomas Lavanini was shown a yellow card for a challenge on Sonny Bill Williams in the 22nd minute. Somehow the hosts kept the All Blacks relatively honest during the period of sanction, and for the rest of the half.
Indeed, it was the All Blacks who were forced to defend and defend during the final stages of the first stanza. Matt Todd was sent to the sin bin for a cynical infringement, but the All Blacks held on to take a 29-3 lead into half-time.
Argentina continued to come at the All Blacks during the early stages of the second half. Read was yellow-carded for a high tackle, and the Pumas eventually crossed the tryline through Juan Manuel Leguizamón in the 54th minute.
The All Blacks weren’t done yet, though. Replacement prop Ramiro Herrera received the fourth yellow card of the evening when he infringed one too many times at the scrum. The visitors persisted until they eventually scored their fifth try through the debutant David Havili.
Argentina – Try: Juan Manuel Leguizamón. Conversion: Nicolas Sanchez. Penalty: Sanchez.
All Blacks – Tries: Kieran Read (2), Damian McKenzie, Waisake Naholo, David Havili. Conversions: Beauden Barrett (4). Penalty: Barrett.
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 (c), 1 Lucas Noguera.
Subs: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Ramiro Herrera, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Juan Martin Hernandez, 23 Santiago Cordero.
All Blacks –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 (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Kane Hames.
Subs: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Ngani Laumape, 23 David Havili.
Photo: Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images
