Legendary All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry has hit back at the criticism of Scott Robertson’s team following the defeat to Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
It was the fourth time that Los Pumas had beaten the men in black in their history, but the 29-23 victory was a historic result as it was the first time that Argentina had defeated New Zealand in South America.
Argentina’s win has blown the 2025 Rugby Championship wide open, with all four teams picking up a single win in the opening two rounds of the tournament, which is just the second such occurrence since the Pumas joined the competition in 2012.
Felipe Contepomi’s charges punished the All Blacks‘ ill-discipline in Buenos Aires, with Will Jordan, Sevu Reece and Tupou Vaa’i all yellow-carded in the defeat, while Robertson’s side were largely outplayed for much of the 80 minutes despite going into a 13-6 lead at one point in the first half.
Brutal response to All Blacks’ defeat
Unsurprisingly, the knives have come out following the historic defeat, with renowned New Zealand-based journalist Gregor Paul ripping into the All Blacks following the defeat.
“There is no doubt that having picked up two yellow cards last week, and seven in last year’s Rugby Championship, the All Blacks have a simultaneous claim to be considered both the dumbest and dirtiest team in world rugby,” he wrote in his New Zealand Herald column.
“Once renowned for being able to tread a supremely astute fine line in the grey areas of rugby’s complex lawbook, the All Blacks now simply seem to play with a Reptilian brain where they can’t resist their basic impulses.
“They seem unable to control the urge to stray offside, impede kick-chasers and – most maddeningly of all – lunge for ill-advised intercept attempts.”
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“That’s just ridiculous”
While Paul was brutal in his summation of the All Blacks’ performance, ex-head coach Henry was far more reserved and believes that the defeat is actually for the team going forward.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, he was asked whether the All Blacks are in trouble.
His response was an emphatic ‘No’.
But when asked about Paul’s notion that the All Blacks are the “dumbest and dirtiest team in world rugby”, the 2011 World Cup-winning coach was even more assertive.
“No, that’s just ridiculous,” he said. “It’s a very even competition.”
However, the 79-year-old does believe that the All Blacks became too complacent for the second Test against Argentina after picking up a somewhat easy victory over the Pumas the week prior.
Roberston’s men had opened their Rugby Championship account with a 24-41 bonus point victory with Ardie Savea, Reece (2), Samisoni Taukei’aho (2) and Cortez Ratima all crossing the whitewash in the win.
“We probably got a bit complacent,” Henry continued.
“We got a bit comfortable, I’d imagine, after a relatively easy victory in the first Test, I know we didn’t play particularly well. I think they got comfortable, but it’s probably very good going forward against South Africa in two Tests at home.
“There is nothing like an All Blacks team that’s got beaten – that really galvanises them and focuses them, and that’s really what they required.”
The experienced coach added that he was pleased by the manner in which the All Blacks players and coaching staff dealt with the defeat.
“We got outplayed, and the boys said that after the game. I thought that they handled that well, they gave praise where it was due, the Argentines outplayed us across the park, quite frankly, and we were disappointing,” he said.
“But going forward, it’s probably good for us.”
The All Blacks’ round three Rugby Championship fixture see them host the Springboks at their fortress, Eden Park, a ground that they are unbeaten in their last 50 matches.
Following that, the action moves to Wellington, where they will collide with the Boks yet again before back-to-back matches against the Wallabies – the first at Eden Park and the second in Sydney.