All Blacks victorious in Argentina: what we learned

RNZ News

2 days ago

Analysis:
The more things change, the more they stay the same - at least for the Pumas and their attempts to beat the All Blacks on home soil.
This morning's test,
won 41-24
by Scott Robertson's side, followed a now well-established script for those played between the two sides in Argentina and ticked off every box along the way.
The All Blacks shot out to a big halftime lead, then fell asleep at the start of the second half, just long enough for the Pumas to get themselves back in the match. A second-half All Blacks yellow card even gave the hosts a sniff of victory, with Billy Proctor now joining the South American sin-bin inmate club started by Joe Moody and Liam Squire in 2016, then subsequently adding Matt Todd, Kieran Read and Sonny Bill Williams.
Anton Lienert-Brown punched his ticket too, just for good measure, but his yellow for a head clash with moments to play was meaningless in the wash-up.
Not meaningless was the importance of this result. Yes, the All Blacks established that lead, but the way they finished was more impressive, given how clinical and crowd-killing Samisoni Taukei'aho's powerful efforts were.
The All Blacks seemed to flick a switch, something we'd become perhaps too accustomed to during the 2010's, and one of some pretty notable good points. .
Samisoni Taukei'aho scores against the Pumas.
Photo:
ActionPress
Halfback Cortez Ratima was under the microscope and stepped up very well, the scrum again earned plenty of key field position and Robertson's stripped back Plan B proved to be very effective. The All Blacks leaned on their forward dominance and Beauden Barrett's boot when they needed to, and it worked, with Ardie Savea's decision-making at the end empowered to go for tries, rather than shots at goal.
Importantly, this time last year, the All Blacks' biggest issue was their inability to score at the backend of games, something now in the rearview mirror through this season's first four tests.
Not that they probably knew it at the time, but it also sent a serious and ironic message out in regard to what had transpired a few hours earlier in Johannesburg. South Africa had racked up a 22-0 lead after only 20 minutes against a sorry-looking Wallabies side, who somehow got hold of Asterix's magic potion and piled on 38 unanswered points
for a famous victory
.
The Springboks seemed to forget who they were, trying to run it from everywhere, without setting a platform.
Cortez Ratima stepped up at halfback against Argentina.
Photo:
ActionPress
For a while there, the All Blacks seemed likely to do the same thing, especially after Tomas Albernoz stepped past some very confused defence close to the All Black line to draw the Pumas within a converted try. Where the Springboks faltered, uncharacteristically letting the occasion get to them and losing their heads, the All Blacks screwed theirs back on.
All it took was one penalty, one chance in the 22 and, suddenly, Taukei'aho's first try solidly gut-punched the resurgent Pumas. His second was the left hook follow-up that knocked the hosts out, pushing the score to a far more comfortable and familiar looking one.
While the cold-as-ice ending should rightfully be lauded, plenty of things remain to work on, before the sides meet again next weekend in Buenos Aires.
At times, the backline looked like they'd just met each other before kickoff, heading backwards with possession and bringing back horrific memories of the turning point in last year's loss to the Pumas in Wellington.
The aforementioned lack of discipline was concerning, especially since Proctor's yellow came after a frenetically unhinged period of defence, and Ratima's early subbing was a headscratcher, but the impact of Taukei'aho and especially Patrick Tuipulotu off the bench was extremely heartening.
Tuipulotu's shift was about enough to gain a man-of-the-match award, with a couple of huge tackles and vital lineout intelligence at the right time. Most of all, coach Robertson will be pleased with the fact that he brought on the right amount of experience to manufacture that clinical finish.
Along with the Wallabies win, the result sends the All Blacks back to the No.1 ranking in the world - for whatever that's worth. There were patches in Cordoba where they certainly played like a team befitting that title, but with plenty more to work on, if they want to hang onto it and eventually win back the Rugby Championship.
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