All Blacks maintain unbeaten streak

New Zealand’s All Blacks powered to a 17-36 bonus point victory over Argentina’s Pumas in Buenos Aires despite making nine changes and fielding an under-strength team.

The All Blacks are the only unbeaten team in the Rugby Championship and had already won the title in their last outing and the win is their  sixteenth consecutive victory.

The result also means that the All Blacks have won all five of their Rugby Championship matches with a bonus point and will have the chance next week to maintain a perfect record of winning every match with a bonus point.

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen chose to rotate his squad for this clash as they still have to travel to South Africa and have a Bledisloe Cup match remaining against Australia in Auckland before they start their end of year tour in America.

The All Blacks scored four tries in the first half as they raced to a 3-29 lead and then picked up in the second half as they did in the first as they were the first to score again when Ben Smith scored for the visitors.

However although the All Blacks started well their game unusually lost its shape as the second half progressed.

The All Blacks lost prop Joe Moody to the sin-bin and Argentina capitalised on their advantage in the scrum and scored their first try in the 58th minute when Facundo Isa went over next to the posts.

Argentina spent almost the next quarter of an hour camped on the All Blacks 5m line but they were unable to go over even when Liam Squire was yellow carded the All Blacks managed to keep them out.

After the All Blacks had worked the ball into Argentina’s half Joaquín Tuculet scored a consolation try for Argentina following a charge down with two minutes remaining which meant that Argentina won the second half on points.

Next week The All Blacks will play South Africa’s Springboks in Durban while Argentina travel to London where they “host” Australia at Twickenham.

Final Score Argentina 17 (3) New Zealand 36 (29) 

Scorers

Argentina
Tries – F. Isa, J.Tuculet
Pen – N.Sanchez
Con – N.Sanchez, S.González Iglesias
Drop –
Cards –

New Zealand
Tries – A.Lienert-Brown. R.Crotty, D.Coles. TJ.Perenara, B.Smith
Pen – B.Barrett
Con – B.Barrett 3
Drop –
Cards – J.Moody (51st min yellow), L.Squire (65th minute)

Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Ref 1:Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Ref 2:Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO : Johan Greeff (South Africa)

Teams

Argentina

1. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro , 2. Agustín Creevy , 3. Ramiro Herrera , 4. Guido Petti , 5. Matías Alemanno , 6. Pablo Matera , 7. Javier Ortega Desio , 8. Facundo Isa , 9. Martín Landajo (c) , 10. Nicolás Sánchez , 11. Ramiro Moyano , 12. Santiago González Iglesias , 13. Matías Moroni , 14. Santiago Cordero , 15. Joaquín Tuculet

Replacements : 16. Julian Montoya , 17. Lucas Noguera , 18. Enrique Pieretto , 19. Juan Manuel Leguizamon , 20. Leonardo Senatore , 21. Tomás Cubelli , 22. Jerónimo De la Fuente , 23. Matías Orlando

New Zealand

1. Joe Moody , 2. Dane Coles , 3. Owen Franks , 4. Patrick Tuipulotu , 5. Brodie Retallick , 6. Liam Squire , 7. Ardie Savea , 8. Kieran Read (c) , 9. TJ Perenara, 10. Beauden Barrett , 11. Julian Savea , 12. Ryan Crotty , 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 14. Israel Dagg , 15. Ben Smith ,

Replacements : 16. Codie Taylor , 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Ofa Tu’ungafasi , 19. Samuel Whitelock, 20. Elliot Dixon , 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow , 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Damian McKenzie.