New Zealand v Argentina LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Pumas stun the All Blacks
New Zealand 30-38 Argentina: The Pumas pulled off their third win over the All Blacks with a remarkable performance in Wellington
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Argentina pulled off a stunning 38-30 victory over New Zealand in Wellington as the Pumas beat the All Blacks for a third time in four years,
The visitors threw the Rugby Championship wide open with another historic win at Sky Stadium, backing up victory in Christchurch two years ago with a remarkable performance. The Pumas matched their hosts stride-for-stride for 60 minutes and then surged away in the final quarter, with old-stager Agustin Creevy — superb off the bench months after his 39th birthday — burrowing over for a crucial try late on.
It dealt the All Blacks their first defeat under head coach Scott Robertson, whose side shipped more points than New Zealand had ever done before on home soil. Some trademark vibrant attacking rugby was interspersed among too many basic errors, while a side shorn of several senior leaders after last year’s World Cup appeared to lack calm and composure come the crunch.
But that does not at all detract from a brilliant showing from the visitors, who had been played off the park in the last meeting between the teams in Paris in the World Cup semi-final. It is a first signature win for new boss Felipe Contepomi, who succeeded Michael Cheika after the tournament. Earlier, South Africa routed Australia to establish themselves as firm favourites for a tournament they have won just once in the last decade.
Follow all the latest from Wellington below:
Australia 0-21 South Africa, 37 minutes
Nothing is clicking for Australia. Noah Lolesio makes a half-break and enters South Africa’s 22 for the first time, but the clearout crew are slow to get to him, and are penalised for eventually coming in at the side door.
It appears Andrew Kellaway’s card will remain a yellow - he’ll be back in a couple of minutes to restore the Wallabies to full complement.
TRY! Australia 0-21 SOUTH AFRICA (Kurt-Lee Arendse try, 35 minutes)
Kurt-Lee Arendse dances through the debris for a third South African score!
Quite magical footwork from Arendse but give the credit to the Springboks pack! The scrum detonates their Australian counterparts, blowing them to smithereens, gold jerseys strewn across the Suncorp Stadium surface. A loose pass leaves Arendse with plenty to do but he picks his route, finding spaces and soft spots as he beats about five would-be tacklers in quick succession to dot down underneath the posts.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has his third conversion of the half.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 33 minutes
Seven penalties against Australia. The Springboks scrum again.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 32 minutes
The relief is only temporary, though - Hunter Paisami makes an outstanding clearing carry to create space for a kick but a teammate goes off their feet resourcing the ruck. Six penalties against Australia now; South Africa opt for a scrum.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 32 minutes
The same set-piece routine from South Africa that brought joy earlier, though this time Siya Kolisi springs free and connects with Malcolm Marx. Jake Gordon gets in the way of the hooker and somehow stops him scoring - and a knock-on on the deck from Marx will allow Australia to breathe a sigh of relief.
YELLOW CARD! Andrew Kellaway is sent to the sin bin! Australia 0-14 South Africa, 30 minutes
It meets the yellow card threshold - Andrew Kellaway is off to the sin bin! He’d just twisted Cobus Reinach up into the air after the scrum half bent over to collect at the base of the ruck, and a dangerous landing will give the bunker official plenty to mull in the eight minutes he has to decide if the sanction should be upgraded to red.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 30 minutes
Noah Lolesio did take Le Roux early, but it’ll be nothing more than a penalty. TMO Ben Whitehouse’s work isn’t done, though - he’s spotted something else to take a look at.
A lifting tackle on Cobus Reinach. This will be interesting...
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 30 minutes
It’s one-way traffic. South Africa enter Australia’s 22 again and bash their way ever closer. Now, was that a tackle off the ball? It hits the deck as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Willie le Roux look to connect in close contact, and it appears the full-back may just have been taken too soon to force the spill...
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 29 minutes
Willie le Roux implores Luke Pearce to send his grounding upstairs for a check, the full-back believing he’d got a hand to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s kick before Tom Wright had shepherded it out of play. He hadn’t, as TMO Ben Whitehouse confirms quickly, though you can understand why Le Roux might have felt he had as he grasped blindly around Wright’s back.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 27 minutes
Australia need to reset. They’ve lost wing Filipo Daugunu to injury, with Dylan Pietsch on, and there are a few anxious looks at one another as they search for a route into the contest. They’ve not even had 30% of the territory and are yet to make an entry into South Africa’s 22 - some of their defensive work has been strong, but the game is rumbling away from them.
An early change for the Springboks, with Bongi Mbonambi a little sore. His injury, which doesn’t look serious on first view, prompts the introduction of Malcolm Marx, a rather useful bench option.
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