The Rugby Championship saw a resurgence of New Zealand as they scored a triumphant 42-10 win over Argentina at Eden Park, Auckland. This was a stark contrast to their surprising defeat to the Pumas in the previous week in Wellington. Despite the challenging weather conditions of pouring rain and potent winds at Eden Park, traditionally regarded as the heartland of New Zealand rugby, the All Blacks put on a stunning first-half performance, scoring 35 points, inclusive of tries by Damian McKenzie, Ardie Savea, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, and Beauden Barrett.
Jordan topped his first-half performance with a second try after the game resumed, firmly asserting New Zealand’s dominance. However, the Pumas rallied to hold off further tries from the All Blacks and scored one of their own towards the final minutes of the game, credited to Juan Cruz Mallia. McKenzie showcased a flawless kicking performance, converting all six tries of the All Blacks, extending New Zealand’s unbeaten streak at Eden Park to 50 tests over three decades.
Savea, the captain of New Zealand, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, indicating the value of consistent performances from the All Blacks. The game exhibited a stark improvement from New Zealand in terms of precision, execution, and physicality despite adverse conditions, indicating that the squad had effectively gleaned lessons from their previous defeat.
The Argentinian defence faltered in the sixth minute of the game due to a smart chip by Jordie Barrett, leading to McKenzie’s first try. Savea soon added another try to New Zealand’s tally. A decisive interception by Tupou Vaa’i set the stage for Clarke’s score. Perenara, showing quick thinking and skill, executed an impressive offload allowing Jordan to notch his first try of the game.
The Pumas struggled against the All Blacks’ onslaught, and could only manage a penalty by Santiago Carreras by half-time, trailing by 32 points. Joel Sclavi, a substitute prop for Argentina, narrowly missed scoring their first try. Meanwhile, Jordan, overcoming prior injury issues to emerge as the star performer, scored his 33rd international try shortly after play resumed for the second half.
In the last eight minutes of in-play time, Mallia, the fullback, managed to secure a victory for the Pumas, scoring under the posts. Following this, Asafo Aumua, a substitute hooker from New Zealand, was handed a yellow card which reduced the number of players on the home side for the remaining four minutes.
Julian Montoya, Argentina’s captain, admitted that their performance fell short, saying, “We need to develop consistency on a weekly basis. Our playing quality this week wasn’t good enough.”
Montoya expressed his deep pride in the team’s effort, stating, “Until the last minute of the game, we kept pressing. However, when playing against a team of this calibre, a game cannot be won in only one half.”
Looking ahead, the All Blacks are set to meet defending world champions the Springboks in two upcoming test matches in South Africa. Meanwhile, Argentina will welcome Australia for a pair of matches in La Plata and Santa Fe as part of the southern hemisphere championship.