Argentina pulled off another shock win over the All Blacks on Saturday as the defending Rugby Championship holders slumped to a 38-30 home defeat to extend their winless streak in Wellington.
Veteran forward Agustin Creevy scored the Pumas’ decisive fourth try with ten minutes left at Sky Stadium as Argentina built on their 25-18 win in Christchurch two years ago – their first victory over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil, by pulling off another famous win over the men in black.
“It’s amazing, we put in a really good performance,” Creevy said. “It’s personal – I’m 39, it’s my first time here and to win in New Zealand is so important for me and the whole team.”
Los Pumas are already targeting a second straight win over the All Blacks in New Zealand when the sides meet again at Auckland’s Eden Park next Saturday.
“Now we need to calm down and win next week, we have never won two games in a row (against New Zealand) so we are going for that,” Creevy added. The All Blacks have not won in Wellington since 2018, their winless streak in the capital has now been extended to five matches.
This was also the All Blacks first home defeat for two years – since their last defeat to the Pumas – which abruptly ends the honeymoon period for new head coach Scott Robertson.
He suffered his first loss in charge after back-to-back victories over England before a largely second-string side saw off Fiji in San Diego last month.
“We weren’t good enough,” Robertson admitted. “It started from the kickoff, we couldn’t get off the back fence. We would get ahead, but then made too many errors.
“What we are training and doing are two different things. We couldn’t execute the plan.”
Argentina got the reward for doing their homework. They learnt from how England’s blitz defence had given the hosts little space to attack during last month’s series in New Zealand. The All Blacks won both games, but were rarely comfortable against Steve Borthwick’s side.
“We had a great week of preparation,” said Pumas captain Pablo Matera. “We had a plan and we stuck to it, even when the score wasn’t in our favour and got the win. “I kept pushing the boys, trying to give them energy, because I knew we had a big chance today and we had to take it.”
Argentina flew out of the traps in Wellington. Fly-half Santiago Carreras broke through the All Blacks defence just after kick off and only an interception by Beauden Barrett near his own line allowed the hosts to clear their lines. The Pumas kept up the pressure with right wing Matias Moroni gathering his own chip, slipped past Mark Tele’a and powered deep into All Blacks territory before Barrett again snuffed out the threat.
Damian McKenzie slotted an early penalty, then created the first try of the game with a piece of individual brilliance. There was nothing on when the fly-half received the ball inside his own 22. He cooly chipped the defence, gathered the ball and fed Beauden Barrett who put in a cross kick with All Blacks attackers sprinting up in support.
Tele’a couldn’t brag the bobbling ball, but lock Sam Darry seized the chance to barrel over for his first international try in only his second Test. McKenzie landed the conversion to put the All Blacks 10-0 up to put with just 17 minutes gone, but the Pumas hit back almost immediately.
Lock Franco Molina turned over the ball from a maul near the halfway line, the ball was moved down the line. Santiago Chocobares hit the line at pace and fed his centre partner Lucio Cinti who brushed off two would-be tacklers to crash over. Carreras missed the conversion. Both he and McKenzie landed penalties as the Pumas trimmed the All Blacks lead to 13-8.
The All Blacks never had the same comfortable superiority they enjoyed in their 44-6 victory in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup last October as the Pumas chased them down. The hosts had to bludgeon their way to the Pumas line before the All Blacks span the ball and centre Anton Lienert-Brown span out of a tackle and dived over for New Zealand’s second try.
Argentina again hit back straight away as winger Mateo Carreras snapped up a loose ball, charged into the 22 and rounded McKenzie for a converted try to keep the Pumas in the game at 20-15 down at half-time. The visitors levelled the scores when Molina was powered over the line by his pack with Carreras’ conversion putting Argentina ahead for the first time at 22-20 early in the second half.
McKenzie and Carreras traded penalties before the All Blacks hit the front again when loose forwards Ethan Blackadder and Ardie Savea punched holes in the defence before TJ Perenara put Telea’a over. McKenzie was again accurate with the conversion – which proved to be the All Blacks last score of the game, then missed a penalty, while Carreras landed one for the Pumas, to trim the All Blacks lead to 30-28 with 20 minutes left.
Argentina kept hammering the All Blacks line. There were the first few nervous looks in the New Zealand ranks when Creevy forced his way over from close range and Carerras slotted the conversion to put the Pumas 35-30 ahead with ten minutes left. Tomas Albornoz missed with a drop goal attempt, but Carreras landed another penalty to cap another famous night for Los Pumas in New Zealand.
“It’s hugely disappointing,” said All Blacks captain Ardie Savea. “We prepped all week to come here and get the win, but it wasn’t our night. “Full credit to Argentina – they stayed in with us, put us under pressure and we couldn’t hold them.”
“That is something we really need to look hard at. We are lucky because we have another chance next week. We created opportunities for ourselves, but we weren’t able to finish.”
“We have been talking all week about finishing chances, but we weren’t clinical enough. That wasn’t the All Blacks standard, I have to take that on the chin, the boys have to take it on the chin.”
“We’ll feel the pain tonight, feel the hurt tonight and hopefully bottle it up so it drives us next week.”