New Zealand 39-0 Argentina: All Blacks destroy Pumas in Rugby Championship on the Gold Coast
The All Blacks score five tries in total - Rieko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Dalton Papali'i and Luke Jacobson (two) - while the Barrett brothers in Beauden and Jordie added four conversions and two penalties between them; Argentina had Pablo Matera and Carloe Muzzio both sin-binned in the defeat.
Last Updated: 12/09/21 1:48pm
New Zealand blended set-piece dominance with stonewall defence to trounce an undisciplined Argentina side 39-0 and claim their third successive win of a perfect Rugby Championship campaign on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
With a string of key players absent or rested, some fringe All Blacks had their chance to shine, with No 8 Luke Jacobson grabbing two second-half tries and recalled winger Sevu Reece scoring one in the first half of a menacing display.
Utility back Rieko Ioane and flanker Dalton Papalii also had tries in the opening stanza as the relentless All Blacks recorded their third bonus-point win of the tournament.
The Mario Ledesma-coached Pumas gave up two yellow cards in the match and have now failed to score in two successive tests against the All Blacks, having lost 38-0 in last year's Tri-Nations.
Ioane was a late addition to the New Zealand starting lineup and he was on the scoreboard early against Argentina.
Ioane scored in the 10th minute and New Zealand crossed for two more tries just before half-time on the way to a 39-0 win Sunday to kick off a month of Rugby Championship doubleheaders.
The All Blacks had back-to-back wins over Australia in the second and third Bledisloe Cup Tests that also doubled as Rugby Championship matches and now have three wins from three starts in the 2021 tournament.
Argentina were coming off back-to-back losses in South Africa before heading to Australia to spend 14 days in isolation on the Gold Coast.
The Pumas were trailing 7-0 until Beauden Barrett slotted a penalty goal in the 34th minute. Then the All Blacks piled on, with winger Reece burrowing over from close range in the 37th and flanker Papalii scoring in the left corner just before the break to make it 22-0.
Between those tries Argentina backrower Pablo Matera was yellow carded for a ruck infringement, leaving the Pumas a man short in defence.
Beauden Barrett took the ball to the line in the 47th minute and beat two defenders before flicking a back-of-the-hand pass to No 8 Jacobson to score New Zealand's first points of the second half.
New Zealand had a try disallowed in the 66th minute but, with Argentina down a man again with replacement prop Carloe Muzzio yellow carded, Jacobson barged over from close range for his second try.
New Zealand now lead the Rugby Championship after beating Australia 57-22 and 38-21 in its first two matches of the tournament.
The remainder of the tournament is being held in Queensland state because of travel complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with double-headers on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane and Townsville over the four weekends.
