Blacks battle past Pumas
8 Sep 2012
SIMON BORCHARDT saw the All Blacks score two tries in the final quarter to beat Argentina 21-5 in Wellington.
Wet weather is a great leveller and that proved to be the case here as the Pumas went into half-time just one point behind the world champions. But the rain stopped, the wind died down, and the visitors’ resistance predictably crumbled at the 60-minute mark after flanker Julio Farias Cabello was yellow carded for a deliberate knock down.
Soon after, Conrad Smith committed three Pumas’ defenders before sending Julian Savea away for a try that made it 14-5. And with five minutes to go, and the Pumas back to 15 men, a long pass from Aaron Cruden saw Cory Jane dive over in the right-hand corner.
The match had begun in driving rain and swirling wind, with the latter pushing Cruden’s first penalty attempt wide. The All Blacks flyhalf, who was a late replacement for the injured Dan Carter, then knocked on (a sign of things to come for his side) before succeeding with his second attempt at goal.
The Pumas had effectively slowed the Boks’ ball down at the breakdown in Mendoza but French referee Romain Poite was not so charitable in Wellington and they were pinned a couple times early on. However, that didn’t deter the visitors from flooding the breakdown.
The committed Pumas’ defence forced the All Blacks into making mistakes that could not be blamed on the weather. In the 13th minute, Ma’a Nonu lost possession in the tackle and Argentina sent the ball wide. Their forwards then bashed away at the line, with loosehead prop Rodrigo Roncero finding a gap around the fringes to score the first try of the game.
Cruden’s boot edged the All Blacks back in front 6-5 soon after, but the handling errors continued with Kieran Read knocking on with the tryline in sight and Richie McCaw spilling the ball just before the break.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen must have given his side a helluva tongue-lashing at half-time and a city-wide power failure gave him an extra 10 minutes to do so.
His side produced a better performance in the second half, with better conditions allowing them to sent the ball wide on two occassions that resulted in two tries.
But Hansen will be the first to admit that there is massive room for improvement, and Heyneke Meyer will be hoping the world champions don’t hit their straps in Dunedin next weekend.
488 Comments
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8 Sep 2012, 11:46 am
Well done to the Pumas. Can see how this competition will make them stronger and stronger.
8 Sep 2012, 11:46 am
@Robzim-445: bit questionable rob after they were so close to turning over the Boks.
I think they stand a more than good chance of beating Australia in Argentina and NZ could come a cropper over there too if not careful.
8 Sep 2012, 11:48 am
@The Analyst-450:
Change your user name if thats what you think.
8 Sep 2012, 11:48 am
@AiDoc-448:
Willing to put money on that?
8 Sep 2012, 11:49 am
@goforthegap00
vipboxsport dot.eu
8 Sep 2012, 11:49 am
@The Analyst-450:
do you see dead people?
8 Sep 2012, 11:50 am
@AiDoc-448: This is the table at the moment, sunshine:
1 New Zealand 2 2 0 0 49 19 +46 0 0 12
2 South Africa 2 1 1 0 43 22 +21 0 0 6
3 Argentina 2 0 1 1 22 43 -37 0 0 2
4 Australia 2 0 0 2 19 49 -30 0 0 0
8 Sep 2012, 11:50 am
@pencil-443
@bighit-444
Cheers
8 Sep 2012, 11:50 am
@Big Hit-452:
Yep.
We now know how hard it is going to be in Argentina.
Boks should have lost, they got away with a draw. We cannot let Argies get
confidence up and hit them with all we got in first 20 mins.
8 Sep 2012, 11:51 am
@Big Hit-452:
Its just that they are so predictable- they have been playing like this for years- if they can add a bit more flair to their attack they will start winning more games- they are never easy to beat but hardly ever win a game against a top team (except occasionally against France).
8 Sep 2012, 11:51 am
@Hurricane-453:
Why?
It’s not like you’re really a hurricane.
More like a stale guff.
8 Sep 2012, 11:53 am
@gunther-461:
I support Hurricanes. Seems logical….. Gunther phhhtt
8 Sep 2012, 11:54 am
Now for the Deans/Meyer showdown.
Pleaseohfuckingplease may this vamped up Bok outfit pitch up and play today.
8 Sep 2012, 11:54 am
@Pencil-433:
That was part of the reason as it stalled the ABs momentum
Going too lateral was a problem too
I believe the main reason for the ‘droppsies is they are looking to play this high speed high risk game when simple basic rugby gets the job done
They are starting to remind me of the Waikato Chiefs of old
Trust me ,as soon as they dump Foster the sharpness and accuracy will return
8 Sep 2012, 11:54 am
In three year of our Lord 2019, the four semi finalists week be from three rugby championship, with all blacks winning it all of course
against Argentina in the final, heard it here first.
8 Sep 2012, 11:56 am
@The Analyst-450: Of course, they desparately needed a ref to get a semi with the 3N champs, consisting of many Super champs instead of out-of-sorts Boks.
Every ABs fan I know would welcome Boks with open arms in the semis instead of those wily Aussies as Boks certainly were the weakest of the 2. You do not lose 6 from 7 for nothing.
That cheating bleat should be written in your anthem at last.
8 Sep 2012, 11:56 am
The Kiwis are so predictable. No matter what you do or how well, they crush you! Anything we can do they can do better. Yes they can.
8 Sep 2012, 11:57 am
Just showed the knock down again…… Plain as can be.
Sorry Ranger and so called Analyst, yellow card was needed.
8 Sep 2012, 11:57 am
@spartan-464: Daniel Carter would have put a stop to that had he been there….Early in the 1st half already I reckon.
8 Sep 2012, 11:57 am
time to migrate to the SAf/Aus thread and be like our “hosts”
Cmon Aussies !
8 Sep 2012, 11:58 am
@AiDoc-467:
lol
8 Sep 2012, 11:59 am
@Hurricane-459: They will almost certainly be the ones doing the hitting in the first 20 over there. South African Jaco Peyper will be reffing the game in Rosario so could be interesting…
@Robzim-460: I hear you, they lost their two best centres to injury and unavailability (Contepomi & Tiesi) so their attack is impaired. Fernandez and Bosch are good defenders but very average on attack.
More immediately concerning for them is their inability to kick their points, their forwards do all the hard work just for their goal-kickers to waste it.
8 Sep 2012, 12:00 pm
@Big Hit-437: @Big Hit-437:
Yes. Boks need to win with a bonus point. Will be only one point behind NZ if they do and then the competition is still there for the taking.
Not too confident that they have it in them to do it. That loose trio is our weakness, I think.
@The Analyst-450:
‘Twas a legitimate yellow card.
Ask you this questio: If that was the Boks on the attack so close to the goalline with an overlap on the outside and Nonu made that tackle/slap the ball down, would you have called for the ref to give him a yellow card or not?
8 Sep 2012, 12:02 pm
Nz is kak… What a pathetic performance….. Boks will take them
8 Sep 2012, 12:02 pm
where did Cab disappear too, did he see how the WCs kicked on?
8 Sep 2012, 12:03 pm
If quota zane gets injured and is out for a year or so… We will kill the all blacks
8 Sep 2012, 12:03 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-469:
Totally agree
8 Sep 2012, 12:06 pm
@grant100-474:
They need to beat Ozzie first little peka fella
8 Sep 2012, 12:06 pm
@nama1-473: You know the answer well. It all depends on team one supports. Swap ABs with Boks in identical situation and every oke would be screaming blue for a card. Swap Pumas with Boks here and any card would be greeted with derision.
8 Sep 2012, 12:07 pm
@grant100-476:
Yep, dgood luck with that. One player is your problem you think?
8 Sep 2012, 12:12 pm
Nz looked very poor… In king heyneke we trust… Wonderkind hougaard will run circles around nz back 3
8 Sep 2012, 12:17 pm
Go Dingoes. In a few hours this site will be dedicated to ropeable Bokke fans grizzling about the referee in Perth.
8 Sep 2012, 12:19 pm
@Nils-479:
True.
8 Sep 2012, 14:49 pm
Okay I just saw the replay. That was certainly a professional foul and a deserved yellow.
8 Sep 2012, 23:29 pm
Good game. I hope the Wobblies & Saffas can bring that kind of intensity.
Its getting a little stale smashing the wobblies all the time.
ABs shouldn’t have too much difficulty with that boks gameplan on saturday, but if they decide to use Biz & Alberts running angles of Steyn & JdV they will be a handful.
Basson is class but underutilized.
Bomb & pray is for staehouse rugby or real rugby circa 2005
9 Sep 2012, 02:58 am
@grant100-474:
So who is an idiot now?
9 Sep 2012, 02:59 am
@Hurricane-478:
Yep, little peka failed, grant 100
9 Sep 2012, 19:49 pm
Anyone can help?
For our plan game the wind is not a help, in the first 40´ it help the Cruden´s kicks.
If I understand what Mr. Simon means is:
Puma dominance (or not the AB dominance) was an external factor: the weather.
Right?
If he is rigth, at the final of the match the wind comes again and the rain too?
The pumas dominates the wather or have the phone number of god?
In other hand I can´t understand:
Farías Cabello was right in his yellow card (I guess when the ball go back means undeliberable knock-on).
I guess when Manonu charged to Carriza with out ball, that means no yellow card, that was a demostration of the Kiwi Welcome Ceremony Army? But NEVER yellow card?
Conrad Smith committed three Pumas’ defenders or Rodriguez Gurruchaga didn´t follow the iron plan?
The second try is 100% our fault, We never read the regultaions of NFL, in these sport is possible do something invalid for the rugby union, AKA forward pass.
But now, leave the ironic words,
what happened?
The pumas now is in the 8° position.
Our pro players play outside.
Our clubs still amateurs like in the past century.
The Ab was a forgettable day, pumas was a day where show that they are learning or 50-50?
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