Jordie Barrett celebrates his try with Finlay Christie during the All Blacks' clash with Argentina. Photo / Getty
Jordie Barrett celebrates his try with Finlay Christie during the All Blacks' clash with Argentina. Photo / Getty
All Blacks 53 Argentina 3
One emphatic victory doesn't save a season but it sure beats another defeat.
A week on from their first home loss to the Pumas, the All Blacks delivered the demanded response in Hamilton through a significant shift in attacking mindset and the impressive platform laid by the forward pack.
This was the All Blacks we expect. Controlled, calculated, cold blooded.
After leading 24-3 at halftime the All Blacks ruthlessly finished the job in the second half with Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett scoring off the bench. Not bad replacements, those two.
The All Blacks claimed seven tries in all to complete the bonus-point victory that revives their Rugby Championship hopes. Two of those tries came while the All Blacks were reduced to 14 men following Fletcher Newell's yellow card to emphasise their total dominance.
The All Blacks shouldn't need to lose as often as they have to learn. On this occasion, though, that's exactly what they did.
After collapsing in the final quarter in Christchurch while stubbornly attempting to bash through staunch Pumas defence the All Blacks made the necessary adjustments, to heed Ian Foster's criticism, and adopt a kick-first approach that brought repeat rewards.
Grubbers, chips, bombs, you name it, the All Blacks used it from the outset. Above all else, this was the dramatic change.
Jason Ryan's forward pack's continued improvement is also notable.
Richie Mo'unga and David Havili owned the tactical kicking approach, with Jordie Barrett and others chiming in, to offer a stark contrast to last week's defeat.
Aggressive counter rucking, strong carries, and defensive pressure that restricted the Pumas to one penalty were other hallmarks of the dominant display.
The All Blacks kicking tactics can be attributed to persistent rain that fell throughout but it also signalled a seismic mental shift and the realisation that attacking variety is the path towards restoring one of the worst All Blacks seasons on record.
The win - and South Africa's victory over Australia overnight - makes this the tightest race for the Rugby Championship. Just one point separates all four teams, with the All Blacks now facing Australia twice.
Reactions to this vastly improved All Blacks performance will, therefore, be subdued. Even the under-capacity 21,645 crowd did not get carried away.
Sure, the All Blacks showed their ability to make amends, to review the footage and return a different beast. But three wins from their last nine tests underlines the notion that the All Blacks have a long way to go before faith is restored; before they prove they are capable of delivering the consistency their legacy demands.
With victory on his home patch, Foster will be vindicated by the decision to retain the same starting team. This week in the second half he adjusted, though, to leave Samisoni Taukei'aho, who made 15 carries in an outstanding 65-minute shift, on the pitch much longer.
Ethan de Groot charges towards the line to score the All Blacks' first try. Photo / Getty
Three first half tries – to Ethan de Groot, Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane – were all the product of the All Blacks winning the kicking battle, playing at the right end of the field and applying pressure.
The All Blacks controlled 68 per cent possession in the opening 24 minutes as the Pumas repeatedly kicked the ball straight back or out to hand over an attacking lineout to the All Blacks. Their slick hands and classy finishing, on the back of dominant carries from Clarke, Ardie Savea and Taukei'aho, seamlessly flowed from there.
Alongside Taukei'aho, Savea delivered another huge 80-minute effort that included a try. Sam Cane and Sam Whitelock led from the front in the pack while, wider out, Ioane savoured his time and space on the ball.
The Pumas produced ordinary handling and gave away a string of penalties that led to Tomas Lavanini's yellow card.
Down 17-0 after 18 minutes, the Pumas were never in the contest. Unlike Christchurch, where the All Blacks' discipline proved fatal, this week they made their dominance count.
Defensively the All Blacks continued their recent improvement to largely withstand the limited Pumas raids. Cane levelled Marcos Kremer with a huge hit but that was one of many instances the line speed pressure forced mistakes from the Pumas.
The blueprint and the level of performance expected from the All Blacks is once again set. Their challenge now is to maintain it. They are clearly too good to win one week, lose the next.
