All Blacks overcome Pumas

by Rajitha Ratwatte

Brodie Retallick was appointed captain for this game due to injuries, the 4th captain this year for the All Blacks. The team is still not up to full strength. Last-minute hamstring strain for Lennert – Brown meant the Rieko Ioane came in at no 13. The referee for the game Nick Berry of Australia. A perfect day for running rugby at the Suncorp stadium Brisbane but the stadium nowhere near full.

Nine minutes into the game Reiko Ioane proved too fast for the Argentine defence and went over far left. Beauden Barret converted and looked like he had recovered his kicking form. 7–0 and the ABs dominating play. The Argentinean defence proved steadfast and forced errors from the New Zealanders in attack. Sanchez in a record-breaking number of appearances for Argentina in this game tried a penalty from over 55 meters out and fell just short in the 22nd minute. 32 minutes into the game T.J. Peranara who started at halfback earned a turnover penalty and Beauden Barret obliged, taking the score to 10–0. There was more tactical kicking from Beauden Barret as we have come to expect, and he tried to set his brother Jordie up with a grubber which was overcooked, and later in the game a high kick which even the 6’7″ no15 could only get down on the dead-ball line.

36 minutes into the game Seevu Reece launched himself like a torpedo under four Argentine players and scored mid-right. Beauden Barret pulled the kick to the left and there were some concerns raised about a calf injury he had collected in the last game 15-0. The Pumas were trying their best to slow the game down and although the AB’s had enjoyed 70% of possession up to this stage, they had not been able to convert it into points. Ten minutes from half time Pablo Matera paid for the sins of his team who were playing under a warning and copped a yellow card. The All Blacks capitalised immediately with Dalton Papalii scoring far left and Jordie Barret taking over the kicking duties and converting to take the score to 22–0 at halftime.

Pumas started the second half a man short and would be that way for 7.5 minutes. Beauden Barret was far too experienced not to exploit such a situation and a great run by him finished off with a spectacular one-handed pass to Jacobson playing at no 8 saw the score progress to 29-0 in the 45th minute. The All Blacks started to stamp their class and George Bridge got over the line in the 65th minute but was denied by the TMO. The 66th minute saw another yellow card to the Pumas, and it was one-way traffic from that point onwards with Jacobson scoring another try from no 8 off an advancing scrum and Jordie Barret finishing things off with a 30-meter penalty taken from mid-right. The final score reading 39-0 to the All Blacks, who displayed a professional game, refusing to allow the Argentineans to slow the game down or be provoked by their rough house tactics.

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