Rugby Championship: Argentina 29 New Zealand 23
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi hailed a historic win over New Zealand in the Rugby Championship on Saturday but did not want to compare the current Pumas achievements with successful teams of the past.
Argentina, semi-finalists at the 2023 World Cup, beat the All Blacks at home for the first time in 16 attempts stretching back 40 years, with a 29-23 triumph at Estadio Jose Amalfitani in Buenos Aires.
The boot of replacement Santiago Carreras proved the difference as he kicked over three second-half penalties.
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.
The Pumas also beat New Zealand in Christchurch in 2022 and in Wellington last year as well as overcoming world champions South Africa at home in last year’s Rugby Championship.
“We are a connecting thread in the great history of Los Pumas,” said Contepomi, who helped Argentina to their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 2007.
“As a player, you live rugby to the fullest; as a coach you try to live it in the best way possible. But this success is theirs … Los Pumas 2025. This group has already set several milestones, beating the All Blacks away, beating them for the first time here. I think it’s great. But you don’t have to compare.”
Argentina can now boast of home victories over each of the tier one rugby nations.
“It’s a huge joy to be able to do it here. It’s been done abroad before, but it’s extra special in front of our fans, who always come with enthusiasm and support. The affection of the fans is incredible, and they’re part of this win and being able to give this to them is great.”
Gonzalo Garcia of Argentina celebrates with team-mate Marcos Kremer after scoring a try during the Rugby Championship match against New Zeland at Jose Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires. Photograph: Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images
Contepomi put the win down to several factors.
“We were quite aggressive and later we were good defensively, quite tidy and we forced some offside penalties,” he said. “It was a combination of it all.
“We had opportunities in the first half to score a few tries but lack finesse. But in the end what the lads did was incredible.”
Argentina now head to Australia for their next two games in the southern hemisphere championship, against the Wallabies in Townsville and Sydney.
All four sides in the Rugby Championship have one win from two matches, after South Africa beaten Australia on Saturday in Cape Town.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 3 mins: Albornoz pen, 3-0; 12: B Barrett pen, 3-3; 15: Mallia pen, 6-3; 20: Proctor try, 6-8; 26: Newell try, 6-13; 33: Gonzalez try, Carreras con, 13-13 (half-time 13-13); 52: Carreras pen, 16-13; 56: Carreras pen, 19-13; 59: Garcia try, Carreras con, 26-13; 68: Taukei’aho try, McKenzie con, 26-20; 74: Carreras pen, 29-20; 80: McKenzie pen, 29-23.
ARGENTINA: Juan Cruz Mallia; Bautista Delguy, Lucio Cinti, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya (capt), Pedro Delgado; Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo.
Replacements: Santiago Carreras for Albornoz (14 mins); Justo Piccardo for Chocobares (temp, 21-32 & 80); Joel Sclavi for Delgado, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro for Vivas (both 46); Guido Petti for Molina, Marcos Kremer for Oviedo (both 47); Simon Benítez Cruz for Garcia (62); Ignacio Ruiz for Montoya (76) .
NEW ZEALAND: Will Jordan; Sevu Reece, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane; Beauden Barrett, Cortez Ratima; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Fletcher Newell; Scott Barrett (capt), Fabian Holland; Tupou Vaa’i, Ardie Savea, Simon Parker.
Replacements: Finlay Christie for Ratima (19 mins); Tamaiti Williams for De Groot (42); Samisoni Taukei’aho for Taylor, Wallace Sititi for Parker (both 52); Pasilio Tosi for Newell, Damian McKenzie for B Barrett (both 57); Quinn Tupaea for Proctor (60), Josh Lord for Holland (69).
Yellow cards: Jordan (30 mins), Vaa’i (33), Reece (71).
Referee: N Berry (Aus).