All Blacks v Argentina: ‘We were not good enough’ admits Los Pumas skipper after defeat
Argentina captain and hooker Julian Montoya.
Argentina were left to pick up the pieces after they suffered a 42-10 defeat against the All Blacks in their Rugby Championship encounter in Auckland on Saturday.
After claiming a shock victory over the same opponents in the corresponding fixture in Wellington last week, Los Pumas came into the rematch in a confident mood but could not replicate their previous performance.
In the end, the All Blacks outscored the visitors by six tries to one to extend their unbeaten record at Eden Park to 50 matches.
Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi was left frustrated after they were outclassed across the park by their hosts.
“We knew what we were coming for, but we couldn’t counteract,” he said after the match. “New Zealand played very well and adapted much better to the weather conditions.
Mistakes prove costly
“We had several mistakes and they made a difference that was later irrecoverable.
“I highlight the attitude of the boys who continued fighting until the end and that this has to serve to learn and take a step forward against Australia.”
Despite the defeat, Contepomi said his team would go back to the drawing board before continuing with the rest of their Rugby Championship campaign.
“Coming to New Zealand is always difficult, but it’s a third of the way through the championship,” he added. “If you go numerically it’s not so bad, but we evaluate ourselves by what we set out to do and then we did or didn’t do on the playing field; out there for our evaluation.”
Los Pumas skipper Julian Montoya echoed his coach’s sentiments and said the All Blacks were deserved victors but praised his team for not surrendering.
“We were not good enough. We made a lot of mistakes that they capitalised on it very well,” he said. “Likewise, I am left with the fact that we always had the attitude to continue fighting.
“Now is the time to look inward and analyse what we have to do better. We have to be humble in defeats and in victories, since we still have four games to play in this tournament.”
Meanwhile, despite being disappointed with their defeat, experienced back-row Pablo Matera said it’s important to look at the bigger picture and to focus on bouncing back in their upcoming home Tests against Australia.
‘It’s not all negative’
“If we take a general assessment, it was a good tour,” he commented. “It’s not all negative when you lose, nor is it all positive when you win.
“We have to learn from this. We have to continue trusting in the path we are taking.
“We have a day to look inward and analyse. We have a great opportunity to play two games in Argentina, which is a huge privilege. We will look for the best version of this team.”
