Argentina v All Blacks: Winners and losers as try-scoring hooker ‘sinks’ Pumas and yellow treble causes ‘turbulence’ to the scoreline
Argentina vs All Blacks: Winners and losers as returning wing makes his case and Pumas playmaker stars in 'almost' comeback
Ending a scintillating Rugby Championship opening weekend, Argentina pushed the All Blacks hard but fell short as they entertained a full crowd at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes on Saturday.
The match finished 24-41 to the All Blacks, but the home crowd will have been pleased with their side’s efforts.
Here are our winners and losers.
Winners:
Finlay Christie
Not in the All Blacks’ plans until recently. In fact, he was actually informed of the fact a year ago. On Saturday, the 29-year-old returned to international colours to guide his New Zealand teammates to victory. Although his performance was nothing more than satisfactory, it only needed to be that to confirm victory in this opening match. Expect him to remain a part of the set-up for the foreseeable future.
Samisoni Taukei’aho
The experienced hooker has many big moments to his name, so scoring a try against Argentina in the Rugby Championship will give no cause for excessive celebration. But it was the timing of the try that proved so important to his side. Battling against a 15-man Pumas outfit, the All Blacks were down to 14 after losing Billy Proctor to the sin bin nine minutes prior. Argentina had battled back to close the gap to seven points so when Taukei’aho charged over from close range in the 68th minute, he effectively put an end to the Pumas’ comeback. He then added a second from another maul five minutes later.
Tomas Albornoz
One of the most in-form fly-halves in world rugby, he was the shining light in an otherwise stuttering Pumas performance. Able to perform off the back foot like no other playmaker, the 27-year-old dragged his teammates back into the game just as the All Blacks looked like they were about to explode. It was his try that started what many thought would become an almighty comeback but, sadly for Albornoz and his crew, it just wasn’t to be.
Will Jordan
In an inconsistent All Blacks showing, he was arguably the best player on the pitch making a couple of vital breakaways and looking threatening every time he had the ball. It was his piece of clever ingenuity that set up Cortez Ratima for the try that would created some real distance on the first-half scoreboard.
Sevu Reece
The life of an All Black wing is notoriously short, but he is refusing to let go. With almost 40 caps to his name and approaching his 30s with increased speed, Reece is having to shout ever louder to claim his place. On Saturday, shouting at the highest decibel, the 28-year-old notched two pure winger’s tries as he once again proved that he still has what it takes to retain a starting spot in the All Blacks XV.
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Losers
Mayco Vivas
The 27-year-old was yellow-carded at a crucial time. Just as the Pumas were starting to get back into the game in the opening half, Vivas needlessly played the ball unlawfully, causing his side to be reduced to 14 men. During his time off the field, the All Blacks grabbed a converted try.
Billy Proctor
Another yellow card, but this time for the All Blacks. Midway through the second half, the rookie outside centre was dismissed just as the Pumas were clawing their way back into the game. A try from the hosts followed with the 26-year-old midfielder reflecting on his actions in the bin. Fortunately for New Zealand, the card didn’t affect the final result, but it certainly played a part in the reinvigoration of the Argentines.
Anton Lienert-Brown
Continuing the trend of turbulent actions, the final of the three yellow cards came right at the end of the match, so this one wasn’t at a time that it could affect the result. The issue was not the timing, but rather the position Lienert-Brown was in during the tackle that got him sidelined. Although he received only a yellow card, lesser incidents have warranted a citing following the event. It means that although he avoided any real punishment during the match, his head-on-head tackle can be reviewed and more serious action can be taken.
