Sam Darry made the most of his first test start. Photo / Getty Images
OPINION
Assessing the performances in the All Blacks’ 38-30 Rugby Championship opening loss against Argentina.
Beauden Barrett 6
In-game kicking was masterful, played the key role in the opening try. Ran for 51 metres, equal most for the All Blacks, and threw three offloads. Continues to excel, even in his side’s loss.
Sevu Reece 5
Silly pat-back that allowed Argentina’s second try, made five tackles, missed one. A couple of ranging runs, quiet night all up for the first choice in No 14.
Anton Lienert-Brown 7
Misplaced pass early on, but quietly grew into the game and didn’t look back. All Blacks’ struggles occurred after he left the field. Made the most tackles in the backline at the time he was subbed off for Ioane after the hour, but also missed the most of any All Black (three). Looked solid in his first chance to be the main man in midfield.
Jordie Barrett 3
Struggled to impact the game, even if Lienert-Brown complemented his game more than Ioane does. Made only 23 metres with ball in hand and was penalised once.
Mark Tele’a 5
No player on either side beat more defenders than Tele’a’s six, but didn’t really get the ball in the right areas. Popped up in the right place at the right time, but Robertson’s system needs to make better use of the winger.
Damian McKenzie 4
Lethal from broken play in combination with Beauden Barrett. Needs to be more assured with in-game kicking. Passing game was strong to put Lienert-Brown through to score. Went missing once Argentina started to assert themselves.
TJ Perenara 6
Kicks charged down twice, lacked sharpness after comeback from injury. Gave the assist for Tele’a to score, but cancelled out by a misplaced kick leading to Argentina scoring.
Ardie Savea 7
Equalled Beauden Barrett for most run-metres. Only Tele’a beat more players. Made 10 tackles. Led well in Scott Barrett’s absence, but will still be the first captain beaten under Robertson.
Dalton Papali’i 4
Quiet, but otherwise solid night for Papali’i. Made eight tackles and won a turnover, couldn’t help give the All Blacks the upper hand at the breakdown.
Ethan Blackadder 4
Equal parts excellent and frustrating. Fortunate to not be shown a yellow card, but common sense prevailed. Was the equal-most penalised player across both teams (three). Made the most tackles for the All Blacks (14).
Sam Darry 8
Surprisingly overlooked for Robertson’s maiden squad, but showed he’s worth investing in. Didn’t look out of place for a second on his first test start. Proved secure as a lineout jumper, won six, including one against the throw. Grabbed a first test try for his efforts. Was given a standing ovation. Plenty to come in the future for the young second-rower.
Tupou Vaa’i 6
Another solid lineout option in the absence of senior teammates. Made 14 tackles, won five lineouts. Second-row stocks wasn’t what cost the All Blacks.
Tyrel Lomax 4
Gave away possession that led to Argentina’s first try. Performance hurt by no scrums, so a quiet night, even if it was outside his control.
Codie Taylor 5
Led well at lineout time in the absence of Scott Barrett. The All Blacks won all 14 of Taylor’s throws. Was penalised twice, and was bulldozed over as Argentina scored a maul try.
Ethan de Groot 6
Made the joint-most tackles in the first half, and had 10 by the time he left the field. Again, was impacted by no scrums before he was subbed. Becoming more and more important with each passing test match.
Reserves:
Asafo Aumua 3
Ofa Tu’ungafasi 3
Fletcher Newell 3
Josh Lord 3
Wallace Sititi 3
Cortez Ratima 2
Rieko Ioane 2
Will Jordan 3
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
OPINION: The All Blacks need a third option at first five given its high attrition rate.