All Blacks rout Argentina 42-10 to stay unbeaten in 50 matches at Eden Park

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Damian McKenzie scored a try among 17 points as New Zealand rebounded from last weekend’s shock first test loss to beat Argentina 42-10 in the second Rugby Championship match on Saturday, extending its unbeaten record at Eden Park to 50 tests over 30 years.

McKenzie scored the first of the All Blacks’ six tries and had a hand or foot in several others. He kicked superbly out of the hand and off the tee, and converted all six tries often from wide angles.

New Zealand had scored five tries by halftime, when it led 35-3, and there was no coming back for the Pumas who beat the All Blacks for only the third time last weekend and have never won back-to-back.

Winger Will Jordan returned to the All Blacks’ starting lineup for his first test since last year’s World Cup and scored a try in each half, his 32nd and 33rd in 33 tests.

“A great performance from the boys tonight,” Jordan said. “We wanted to start fast and start strong and we did that, then held on at the end there.”

Beauden Barrett scored his 44th test try to move up to equal fifth on New Zealand’s all-time try-scoring list and other tries went to Ardie Savea and winger Caleb Clarke.

If there was any disappointment, it was that New Zealand didn’t score for the last 38 minutes while conceding a try to Pumas fullback Juan Cruz Mallia in a 7-7 second half.

The All Blacks were outplayed physically and tactically in last weekend’s 38-30 defeat in Wellington. But on Saturday a passionate performance of the haka heralded a much more intense and physical effort from the All Blacks who were almost constantly in possession.

Argentina was continually on the retreat which left the visitors scrambling in defense and made it impossible to implement a kicking game which was needed in wet conditions.

Savea was outstanding for the All Blacks, scoring a try and having a hand in several others. Scrumhalf T.J. Perenara improved enormously over his diffident first test performance and Jordie Barrett had his best game of the season at inside center.

“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.”

The Pumas just couldn’t control possession and dominate physically and in the air as they did last weekend. Their hopes of becoming the first team to beat the All Blacks in Auckland since France in 1994 faded well before halftime.

“I think we weren’t good enough this week. We have to try to be consistent week in and week out,” Pumas captain Julian Montoya said.

The All Blacks spent more time in the Argentina half in the first 20 minutes on Saturday than in all of the first test.

The All Blacks’ scrum was a massive platform whereas last week 60 minutes elapsed before the first scrum of the match. Tamaiti Williamson, coming in as a loosehead replacement for Ethan de Groot, was a powerhouse, lifting up and driving back his opposite at scrum after scrum.

New Zealand always seemed to be going forward in the first half and when it kicked, it did so with precision and purpose, learning from its haphazard and ineffective kicking scheme in the first test.

McKenzie opened New Zealand’s scoring in the seventh minute, running onto a well-weighted kick by Jordie Barrett into the in-goal area.

Santiago Carreras kicked a penalty for Argentina but from then on the first half belonged to New Zealand, though it played into a swirling wind and driven rain. The All Blacks’ handling was superb in the conditions and they grassed only one ball in the first half.

Savea scored next, then Clark who crossed unchallenged after Savea provided the last pass. Jordan was next, also scoring untouched after Perenara had darted to the blindside and passed to the winger with the defense outflanked.

Beauden Barrett squeezed between defenders off a McKenzie pass for the fifth All Blacks try four minutes from halftime.

Jordan had his second try in the 42nd minute. After a huge scrum he and Savea featured on the right side, then on the left side as he crashed over and managed to ground the ball amid defenders.

The All Blacks played some exceptional precision rugby and Argentina’s first concerted period in possession came around the 50th minute when they were over the New Zealand line but lost the ball forward.

Then in the 71st Argentina carried the ball from its own 22 to the All Blacks’ goalline and Mallia scored.

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