All Blacks hang tough to beat Argentina 41-24
Cortez Ratima and Ardie Saves also scored tries for New Zealand while Rodrigo Isgro, Tomas Albornoz and Joaquin Oviedo went over for the home team.
Beauden Barrett kicked a penalty and four conversions while Albornoz slotted over penalty and three conversions for a personal tally of 14 points.
The All Blacks' superiority showed through, although they had to see off a second-half surge from Argentina who were 31-10 down at the break but fought back to trail 31-24 before New Zealand closed out the match.
The visitors were ahead after four minutes as Barrett set the tone with a penalty before Will Jordan's long pass sent Reece over in the corner to put New Zealand 10-0 up inside the opening 10 minutes.
Argentina quickly countered with a try of their own as a long pass out to right winger Isgro reduced the lead to three points.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
37 minutes ago
- The South African
Rude awakening must spark Springbok response
It was supposed to be a Springbok statement, a powerful start to their Rugby Championship title defence at the venue where they traditionally dominate. Instead, it turned into a sobering reminder: reputations don't win Test matches. The Wallabies didn't just survive the altitude and the crowd; they thrived in it. They scored six tries to three, ran in 532 metres to South Africa's 580, and made 26 defenders miss. Australia didn't just take their chances, they made their own. Statistically, the Springboks edged some categories. They carried the ball more (139 carries to 97), gained more metres, and even broke the line more often with 14 clean breaks to Australia's 10. But the key numbers don't lie. South Africa conceded six turnovers, more than Australia's three, and managed just five offloads compared to the Wallabies' 14. That tells the real story: Australia kept the ball alive, moved it quicker, and adapted better. Even more telling, the Boks had 77 more passes than the visitors but couldn't translate that into scoreboard pressure. The Wallabies' 38 points came from variety, ruthlessness and unpredictability, everything the Springboks lacked. South Africa hadn't lost to Australia at home since 2011. They hadn't lost to anyone at Ellis Park in years. But the Wallabies, ranked sixth in the world and desperate to shake their underachiever tag, didn't flinch. They came to spoil the party and did just that. While the Springboks tried to wear them down, the Wallabies were direct, clinical, and fearless. Every time South Africa threatened a comeback, the Aussies hit back with sharp, simple rugby. Rassie Erasmus' men usually dominate through the forwards. But on Saturday, they couldn't. The rolling maul barely functioned. The scrum was neutralised. Eben Etzebeth was energetic, but he couldn't carry workload of the entire pack on his shoulders. In the backline, there was pace but no punch. Despite all the carries, the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe rarely found real space. The connection between nine and ten felt disjointed. Too often, the Boks passed sideways and waited for impact; it never came. This wasn't a lucky win. It was a blueprint. The Wallabies brought controlled chaos and executed it perfectly. From quick tap penalties to skipping wide channels, they stretched South Africa in ways few teams do. Yes, it's only round one. But in the Rugby Championship, every result matters. With the All Blacks lying in wait, the pressure rises immediately. Erasmus and his staff won't panic, but they will be concerned. The numbers show effort, not execution. The game showed a team slightly off the pace, outsmarted and outscored. If the Springboks want back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time ever, this loss must be the alarm bell they answer loudly next weekend. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
UPDATED Top 10 most-capped Test players list after Eben Etzebeth joins exclusive club
Saturday's opening Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and Wallabies at Ellis Park in Johannesburg marked a significant occasion for veteran lock Eben Etzebeth who extended his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 134 matches. That feat also saw him break out of a tie with former Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray in joint-11th place in the global pecking order to joint 10th position alongside Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins. Only two players ahead of Etzebeth in the list – James Slipper and Beauden Barrett – are still playing. Etzebeth should get the chance to claim 10th place on his own when the Springboks take on Australia for a second time this coming weekend in Cape Town. At still only 33 years of age, there is plenty of time for Etzebeth to further climb the list before he hangs up his studs. Rank Caps Player Team 1 170 Alun Wyn Jones Wales (158), British and Irish Lions (12) 2 153 Sam Whitelock New Zealand 3 148 Richie McCaw New Zealand 4 147 James Slipper Australia 5 142 Sergio Parisse Italy 6 141 Brian O'Driscoll Ireland (133), British and Irish Lions (8) 7 139 George Gregan Australia T8 137 Cian Healy Ireland T8 137 Beauden Barrett New Zealand T10 134 Gethin Jenkins Wales (129), British and Irish Lions (5) T10 134 Eben Etzebeth South Africa Full names: Eben Etzebeth Date of birth: 29 October 1991 Place of birth: Cape Town School: Tygerberg Springbok #833 Physical: 2.03m, 117kg Current age: 33 Test summary: Tests: 134 Tries: 7 First Test: 9 June 2012 – Lock against England at Kings Park, Durban Last Test: 16 August 2025 – Lock against Australia at Ellis Park, Johannesburg TBA TBA Date: Saturday, 23 August Venue: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Kick-off: 17:10 Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand) Assistant referees: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) TMO: Richard Kelly (Australia) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Ox Nche calls for strong bounce-back after Wallabies collapse
Ox Nche insists the Boks must focus and execute better as they prepare for Saturday's must-win Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Springbok prop Ox Nche was visibly disappointed on Saturday night after the Boks had capitulated in the second half of their Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies to lose 28-22. Nche says the Boks must bounce back strongly on Saturday in Cape Town to get their title defence back on track. The Boks could not even muster a losing bonus point at Ellis Park. The Wallabies outscored the Boks six tries to three, overturning a 22-0 lead by the hosts after 20 minutes in the process, and Nche attributed the result to mistakes and a failure to execute their plans in the second half. 'We want to win the Rugby Championship,' said Nche. 'This coming weekend is a must-win Test (against Australia once more), and we have to get as many points as we can.' Reflecting on Saturday's result in Johannesburg, the Bok prop said: 'At halftime, the chat was simply to stick to the plan and execute things, as it was working. But we just went off the script in the second half. 'They scored three easy tries early on, and it wasn't from a good set piece. They were just more active and ready, and they pounced ahead. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'They just seemed more prepared than we were, and they used every opportunity they got, whereas we didn't. Everyone just started going off on their own plan instead of sticking to the plan we had as a team.' Asked what they had to do to turn things around, Nche said: 'For me personally, it means more hard work, more preparation, and to be better prepared. To do whatever you did last week, and do more of it. The only thing we can do is to execute better.' After the return match against the Wallabies, the Boks face New Zealand in Auckland and Wellington, and Argentina in Durban and London, respectively.
