The All Blacks leave the field following their Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina. Photo / Getty Images
The All Blacks leave the field following their Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina. Photo / Getty Images
All Blacks 26 Argentina 16 It fell into a predictable pattern in the end, but a nation was left wondering for what would have felt like an interminable period as to whether it ever would.
Argentina were always going to be hard to break down. But they were really hard this time. Worryingly good for periods to rattle the All Blacks and make things way more nerve racking than any Kiwi would have enjoyed.
The All Blacks, as always, will be focused on the obvious improvements they must make, they should still take the time, though, to acknowledge that there was much to admire in the way they held themselves together and were firing pretty close to their best by the final quarter.
Of course they won't be happy about their two yellow cards. Nor will they feel they scrummaged consistently well, or defended with all the accuracy they would have liked. But it was the opening show of the campaign - and all good actors know opening night always has its issues. Just ask South Africa.
But what the All Blacks did do was operate supremely well in the lineout. Their work at the breakdown was as good, if not better, than it has been all year: so fast, so committed, technically correct and clinical.
All Blacks 2nd-five Ma'a Nonu in action during the Pool C match between New Zealand and Argentina held at Wembley Stadium. Photo / Brett Phibbs
In the final 15 minutes their ball retention and offloading was at a different level to anything that's been seen at the tournament so far.
Argentina, who had been so good and clever in the way they had been low risk, high risk for much of the game, were left to defend exclusively in that final quarter.
Credit to them for keeping the score within reason because the All Blacks just kept coming at them.
The bench more than played its part in that and no one more so than Sonny Bill Williams. A sad shadow of his usual self the last time he wore black, he was the man around whom the All Blacks built their revival. He was direct, strong and measured, using his offload well.
The All Blacks had better shape and direction once he was in, helped no end by the arrival of Beauden Barrett, whose presence on the ball stretched the Pumas.
Victorious but reflective: Richie McCaw at the end of the match. Photo / Getty Images
And they needed that revival because the wheels felt awfully close to falling off in those last 15 minutes of the first half. The comfort level had dropped to zero - there the All Blacks were with all the possession and territory and yet just a two point lead to show for it.
When the Pumas bumped over for their try, got Pablo Matera back from the sin bin, they were suddenly stable. When Richie McCaw decided to stick out his foot to try to trip up Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe as the Pumas No 7 was taking a quick penalty, it suddenly felt like Argentina were more than stable. And the All Blacks weren't.
The lines are so blurred these days as to whether McCaw is deity or human that it was somewhat alarming to be reminded he was the latter. Even more alarming was to be reminded at a World Cup, against a Latin opponent with Wayne Barnes refereeing.
Composure was in horribly short supply for the All Blacks in that period and thoughts of another giant World Cup upset were hard to keep at bay when Conrad Smith then dived into a ruck and flicked the ball back with his hand.
Of all the players to fall into the trap of making rash, frankly stupid decisions, McCaw and Smith would be the last two All Blacks anyone would expect. Yet there they both were, in the bin together, the All Blacks reduced to 13 men and their old friend World Cup disaster threatening to show up unexpectedly.
It took composure, resilience and all the qualities we have come to expect from this All Black team to fight their way back into the contest. A bit jittery, yes, but not by the end.
The All Blacks have arrived at the World Cup - and its going to take a good side to beat them.
