New Zealand 39-22 Argentina: All Blacks survive Pumas scare
Last Updated: 09/09/17 11:38am
New Zealand fought back with three second-half tries to beat Argentina 39-22 and go top of the Rugby Championship standings.
New Zealand scored three tries in the first half to take a 15-9 lead shortly before the break, but the Pumas hit back in the final play of the half to take a one-point lead at the turnaround.
A penalty then made it 19-15 to the visitors before Beauden Barrett was sent to the bin after repeated team infringements from the home side. Nicolas Sanchez slotted another penalty from the offence to make it 22-15 with 30 minutes remaining as Argentina looked to be in a good position to record their first ever win over New Zealand.
However Vaea Fifita, making his first start for the All Blacks, then scored a superb solo try which was converted by Lima Sopoaga to level the scores.
From there the All Blacks added further tries from Damian McKenzie and Barrett to make the winning margin appear far more comfortable than the game suggested.
On a cold wet night, Los Pumas pressured the All Blacks line from the kick-off with Nicolas Sanchez taking an ambitious but unsuccessful drop goal attempt.
But once the home side settled, gaps started to open and it was only a matter of time before McKenzie scythed through the Argentine backline to put Nehe Milner-Skudder over for the opening try.
Sanchez was quickly back in the action with a close-range penalty as Argentina found the All Blacks defence too difficult to penetrate and were reduced to earning points from kicks.
The All Blacks were immediately back on the attack with Anton Lienert-Brown winning the race for the ball to score off a Beauden Barrett chip kick.
Argentina picked up another three points with a long-range penalty by left wing Emiliano Boffelli from a metre inside his own half, and closed within one point at 10-9 with a Sanchez drop goal.
After Israel Dagg scored the All Blacks' third try, Argentina came back to take the lead on the stroke of half-time, and from an All Blacks error when they lost a defensive lineout and Tomas Cubelli, a key player in the Argentinian attack, sent Sanchez over for the try which he converted himself.
Boffelli and Sanchez landed further penalties at the start of the second half before Fifita's try which, with Sopoaga's conversion, levelled the score at 22-22.
Sopoaga had taken over the kicking after Beauden Barrett had a woeful night in front of his home crowd, missing three conversions and being yellow carded.
Blindside flanker then Fifita turned the game with a 50-metre try 10 minutes into the second half when the All Blacks were down by seven points.
Coach Steve Hansen had billed Fifita as a "real physical beast" before the game and the 25 year-old did not disappoint, using his 1.96m, 113 kg frame to crash his way through Los Pumas.
Damian McKenzie stretched the lead with the All Blacks fifth try, and after a Sopoaga penalty, Barrett atoned for his errors with a late try to put the finishing touches on the win.
