In a stunning reversal of fortunes, the New Zealand All Blacks exacted revenge on Argentina’s Los Pumas with a decisive 42-10 victory in the second Rugby Championship match at Eden Park, Auckland on August 17, 2024. This win not only avenges their shock 38-30 loss to Argentina last week but also extends their remarkable unbeaten run at Eden Park to 50 tests over 30 years.The All Blacks dominated from the outset, unleashing a first-half try blitz that saw them lead 35-3 at halftime. Damian McKenzie was instrumental in the victory, scoring 17 points including a try and flawlessly converting all six of the All Blacks’ tries, often from wide angles. Will Jordan made a triumphant return to the starting lineup, scoring two tries and bringing his impressive tally to 33 tries in 33 tests.New Zealand’s forwards heeded coach Scott Robertson’s call for ‘redemption’ after being outplayed a week earlier. Captain Ardie Savea led by example, scoring a try and contributing to several others. ‘We’re very happy to get the win and respond the way we did,’ Savea said. ‘We spent the whole week looking at ourselves in the mirror. But we’re All Blacks, we’ve got to bring that every week. We can’t rely on a loss to get that response.’ For Argentina, the match was a harsh reality check after their historic win last week. The Pumas struggled to maintain possession and were dominated physically and in the air. They managed to stem the flood of tries in the second half and scored one of their own through Juan Cruz Mallia in the 72nd minute, but it was too little, too late. Argentina’s captain Julian Montoya acknowledged their shortcomings, stating, ‘We weren’t good enough this week, we need to be more consistent, week in, week out.’ This victory marks New Zealand’s best performance under first-year coach Scott Robertson and reaffirms their dominance at Eden Park, where they haven’t lost since 1994. The All Blacks now lead the Rugby Championship standings and will face South Africa in their next two tests, while Argentina will host Australia in their upcoming matches.
Key points
- The All Blacks defeated Argentina 42-10, avenging last week’s loss.
- New Zealand extended their unbeaten run at Eden Park to 50 tests over 30 years.
- Damian McKenzie scored 17 points, including a try and six conversions.
- Will Jordan scored two tries, bringing his tally to 33 in 33 tests.
- Argentina struggled to maintain consistency after their historic win last week.
Contradictions👾There is a discrepancy in the reported score for Argentina.
Most sources report a 42-10 victory for New Zealand, but one source reports a 30-0 victory.
