We’ve taken the scoreboard out of it, we know that wasn’t a true reflection of how tough that match was and how much pressure “I take my hat off to Argentina, they didn’t allow us to play”.
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The frustration of halfback Aaron Smith – the best No 9 in the world by some distance – was also something new for them to contend with, but they found the answers in the end, cruising to the victory.
The All Blacks were keen to show they had the muscle up front and opted for scrums over close-range penalties early in the Test.
They led 24-22 at that point before galloping clear with 33 unanswered points in the last half-hour.
Barrett, who was a subdued presence in the first half, then collected a lucky bounce to bag a five-pointer of his own.
Despite his struggles, Hansen stuck by him, though in reality the wing was only starting in the Rugby Championship side because of an injury to Waisake Naholo.
“If (Pumas) bring that, we’ve just got to adapt and control what we can control”.
The All Blacks coaches were forced to go to their bench earlier than intended to inject a spark into a lethargic performance and that worked with the burst of four tries through the middle of the second hafl.
Crotty and Ben Smith both added their second tries before Luke Romano crossed to give the All Blacks a scoreline that flattered the home side.
A devastating late surge broke Argentina’s resistance as New Zealand powered to a 57-22 victory to keep their Rugby Championship title bid on track on Saturday.
Explosive Hurricanes flanker Ardie Savea has been thrust into the All Blacks limelight with confirmation that the injured Sam Cane will be out of action for at least a month. South Africa fought back with a Morne Steyn try, but the home side held on for their first win in six games.
If you’re craving arts and culture, the city of Toronto will most definitely quench your thirst. “That put a lot of pressure on the Argentinians and we managed to come away with it”.
New Zealand host South Africa and Argentina travel to Australia in next Saturday’s Rugby Championship fixtures.
“The bench was outstanding and all 23 players were needed by us tonight”.
Perenara said he was glad to play his part after participating in just 28 minutes of the All Blacks’ back-to-back wins over the Wallabies.
An initial review on Monday pinpointed the need to be more combative at the breakdown, while a forwards meeting later will focus on improving the lineout’s efficiency after a couple of deliveries went awry at Waikato Stadium.
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“Going forward it is going to be critical against a good set piece team like South Africa”.
