IndianZ Xpress NZ's first and only Hindi news website
By Paul Rolton
All Blacks V Argentina Round 1 The Rugby Championship.
A dominant first 40 minutes and a strong last 15 was enough to hold off a strong middle quarter from Argentina in the opening round of the Rugby Championship when the All Blacks completed a 41-24 victory, to maintain their unbeaten run in games against Argentina in Argentina.
A early penalty from Beauden Barrett was followed very quickly by the first of Sevu Reece’s brace of tries. After a strong drive from the All Blacks pack, with Fabian Holland dominant, and fast hands from outstanding All Blacks fullback Will Jordan, the twinkled toed winger touch down with out a hand being laid on him.
The Argentinian’s were quick to reply when Santiago Chocobares was first to a chip behind the All Blacks backs, and after a strong run from the Puma’s best forward Pablo Matera, followed by captain Julian Montoya the Puma forwards go to work with Matera again prominent. With fast hands from the Puma backs electric winger Rodrigo Isgro goes untouched down the righthand side, well completed by a touch line conversion from Puma’s number 10 Tomas Albornoz.
A 16th minute yellow card to Puma’s front rower Mayco Vivas had his side down to 14 men however the All Blacks took time to take advantage. Another Holland lineout win in the 23rd minute saw Ardie Savea make one of his seemingly effortless tackle breaks that gave the All Blacks front foot ball, then saw Jordan produce a outstanding right foot step to spilt the Puma’s defense and the ever present Cortez Ratima was there to take an inside pass to complete the 50 metre movement under the post for a 7 pointer.
A 30th minute Albornoz penalty closed to margin to 7, though at this stage the All Blacks were starting to dominate both at scrum and lineout maul time, and it wasn’t long before that dominance resulted in their 3rd try. After another Holland take and All Black drive the Puma’s are penalized and after not gaining advantage the ref brings them back for a penalty, which Beauden Barrett puts out just short of the Puma’s line. A Scott Barrett lineout take sees the inevitable drive and this time Savea is on the end of it for the try, with an easy B Barrett conversation taking it to 24-10.
The All Blacks showed their intent in injury time when they keep the ball in play to gain a late penalty that B Barrett put 15 metres into the Puma defensive 22. A sharp Billy Proctor break followed up by Ratima again taking a short pass saw winger Reiko Ioane play like a loose forward with two strong charges at the line before Reece was on the end of a Ratima pass to score inches from the touchline, and again B Barrett converts for a commanding 31-10 halftime lead.
A slow start to the second 40 minutes saw the Puma’s take first blood when from a scrum a nothing moved turn into a solo try for Albornoz, after Jordy Barrett made an uncharacteristic, missed tackle attempt that saw the Puma’s 10 go under the bar for a 7 pointer.
A quick tape close to the All Blacks line by Matera saw Proctor sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes for not rolling away, and down to 14 men the All Blacks were under pressure from a revitalized Puma’s pack. Wave after wave of attach with again Matera and Montoya to the fore finally saw the All Blacks defense crack in the 63rd minute with the powerful No 8 Joaquin Oviedo drove over the tackle of replacement halfback Findlay Christie to score between the posts, with the easy Albornoz conversion taking it to 31-24 and game on.
It didn’t take to long for the All Blacks to right the ship, a 66th minute drive from a lineout saw replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho prominent with ball in hand, along with Ollie Norris and Hurricanes forwards Du Plessis Kirifi and Pasilio Tosi doing some hard yards before another Puma’s penalty led to an other outstanding lineout drive with Taukei’aho showing his enormous strength driving over from 3 metres out, for 36-24.
The Puma’s disciple started to wain when consistently on the back foot from a very dominate All Black pack, and after another penalty and lineout drive from 5 metres out Taukei’aho made it a memorable night getting his second to round off a dominant 41-24 victory.
For the All Blacks their scrum was outstanding, especially in the first half, and the lineout drives almost unstoppable. Ratima showed that he is in good form with probably his best game for the All Blacks, whilst Jordan was all class both with and without the ball.
With the second test only a week away the All Blacks will move to Buenos Aires in high spirits whilst the Puma’s will have to look hard at themselves with too many basic errors and a poor lineout defense high on their priority list to fix.
In other games Australia, under ex All Blacks Coach Joe Schmidt came storming back from 22-0 down to upset reigning World Champions South Africa, in Johannesburg 38-22. With Captain Harry Wilson outstanding and James O’Connor, fresh from a season with the Championship winning Crusaders, directing his team around the park like the veteran general he is The Bok’s had no answer. Their return match in a weeks’ time in Cape Town with be one to watch with the Rugby Championship now wide open for any one to win.