Player Ratings: 'The Bus' is back

All Blacks wing Julian Savea on attack fending Argentina 2nd5 Juan Martin Hernandez in the All Blacks and Argentina Rugby Championship test match. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Kris Shannon's player ratings from the All Blacks' 57-22 victory over Argentina in Hamilton.

All Blacks

Ben Smith 9

The all-round brilliance we've all come to expect. Scored two tries and set up another with a canny left-footed kick.

Israel Dagg 6

Made little impact but did little wrong. Knew even less about his late try 'assist'. Long-range penalty a bonus.

Malakai Fekitoa 7

Had the All Blacks on the front foot throughout, his combination of size and speed proving too tough to counter.

Ryan Crotty 7

Quiet but steady for an hour before bursting into the headlines with a quickfire brace of tries.

Julian Savea 9

Excelled while finding holes in the Argentine defence, especially in the opening half. Looked back to his dynamic best.

Beauden Barrett 8

Two outstanding runs in one move to set up Ryan Crotty's try. The only negative was a couple of missed penalties.

Aaron Smith 6

Solid without being spectacular. A little more subdued than usual before being replaced with 30 minutes to play.

Kieran Read 7

A defensive wall the Pumas couldn't break down. Showed awareness with a try-saving intercept shortly after halftime.

Sam Cane 7

Flawless in the tackle and, facing a real battle at the breakdown, was absolutely up to the task before limping off.

Jerome Kaino 8

A typical menace on defence, with one huge first-half hit the highlight. Was equally fearsome with ball in hand.

Sam Whitelock 7

Rarely used as a ball carrier but made his presence known without possession, leading both teams with 13 tackles.

Brodie Retallick 7

At his bruising best when in possession. May not have made many metres but certainly left his mark.

Owen Franks 7

Completed double-digit tackles in 48 minutes on the pitch. Passed the test at scrum-time with aplomb.

Dane Coles 5

Dragged shortly after losing a couple of lineouts with errant throws, having been perfect at the set piece for the last month.

Joe Moody 5

Rarely seen on either side of the ball and replaced midway through the second spell.

Reserves

16 Codie Taylor 7/10
17 Wyatt Crockett 6/10
18 Charlie Faumuina 7/10
19 Luke Romano 6/10
20 Ardie Savea 7/10
21 TJ Perenara 8/10
22 Aaron Cruden 7/10
23 Anton Lienert-Brown N/A

Argentina

Joaquin Tuculet 6

Made the initial bust that led to the opening try. Made to look silly by his opposite as the All Blacks ran up the score.

Matias Moroni 7

One breathtaking bust that featured a flying forward roll. Also got his hands dirty while winning three turnovers.

Matias Orlando 5

Set up the try that gave Argentina such a perfect start. But missed four tackles as he struggled to contain Fekitoa.

Juan Martin Hernandez 5

Seldomly featured before being substituted five minutes before the break.

Santiago Cordero 6

Crossed for Argentina's encouraging try and offloaded well in the tackle.

Nicolas Sanchez 7

Made plays with his hands and kept the Pumas in touch with his boot. An assured display while accruing 17 points.

Martin Landajo 8

Elusive running around the edges to spark his side's attack. Arguably outplayed his world-class opposite number.

Facundo Isa 8

Won turnovers, carried powerfully and caused the All Blacks real pain. Showed character with late conversion charge.

Javier Ortega Desio 6

Competed ably enough at the breakdown without causing the All Blacks too many problems.

Pablo Matera 5

Looked promising on attack but made little impact in his core roles.

Matias Alemanno 7

The best of the visitors on defence, completing a perfect night with 11 tackles and no misses.

Guido Petti 6

Subbed at halftime but spent the first 40 minutes winning turnovers, claiming lineouts and tossing offloads.

Ramiro Herrera 4

Missed four tackles before being withdrawn after an hour. Probably fortunate to play as long as he did.

Agustin Creevy 7

Made good ground whenever he found the ball in his hands and led a strong lineout.

Nahuel Tetaz 5

A rough opening. Caught short in the scrum before Julian Savea's try, then dropped the ball stone cold with the line in sight.

Reserves

16 Julian Montoya 6/10
17 Lucas Noguera 5/10
18 Enrique Pieretto 5/10
19 Marcos Kremer 5/10
20 Leonardo Senatore 7/10
21 Tomas Cubelli 6/10
22 SG Iglesias 7/10
23 Ramiro Moyano 7/10