BUENOS AIRES :Argentina won a first-ever home test over New Zealand, beating the All Blacks 29-23 on Saturday to throw wide open this year’s Rugby Championship as the home side bounced back from a resounding defeat last week.
The boot of replacement Santiago Carreras proved the difference as he kicked over three second-half penalties, leaving all four teams in the competition with one win apiece after two rounds of the Southern Hemisphere Championship.
Earlier on Saturday, South Africa had beaten Australia in Cape Town.
Billy Proctor and Fletcher Newell scored first-half tries to see New Zealand go 13-6 ahead but scores from Juan Martin Gonzalez and Gonzalo Garcia saw Argentina fight back to win after losing 41-24 to the All Blacks in Cordoba last week.
They had lost all 15 previous home tests against New Zealand, stretching back 40 years to 1985.
The two sides traded early penalties as Argentina went 6-3 up in the 15th minute, before New Zealand scored two quick tries to go 13-6 ahead.
The All Blacks had a try with their first attacking chance in the 19th minute as Codie Taylor, marking his 100th appearance, went close on the right. Then quick shift to the other side saw Rieko Ioane held up before the line, but the ball came out quickly for Proctor to take a gap in the defence and go over.
Six minutes later, prop forward Newell barged through at pace to crash down in the corner and extend the visitors’ lead.
But after Will Jordan was yellow-carded, Argentina made use of the numerical advantage and scored their first try from Gonzalez, with Carreras adding the conversion to level matters.
SPILLED
New Zealand then had flanker Tupou Vaa’i yellow-carded to be down to 13, and Argentina came close to taking the lead before halftime, but a handling error denied Bautista Delguy a try as he spilled the ball on the line.
The visitors’ discipline did not improve after the break, handing penalty opportunities to Argentina, which Carreras kicked over in the 51st minute and again five minutes after that to swing the momentum of the game.
Victory looked in sight when Pablo Matera broke off the back of the scrum in the 59th minute and, while he was held up short of line, scrumhalf Garcia pounced on the ball to dart over for a try that put Argentina 26-13 in front.
New Zealand had shown their strength in the set pieces in the closing stages in Cordoba last week and threatened the same again when replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho scored from a line out maul with 12 minutes remaining. But any hopes of a dramatic comeback ended when Sevu Reece was penalised, and yellow carded, for sticking out his hand to block the ball, allowing Carreras to kick over another penalty that ensured the victory.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by David Gregorio)
