All Blacks rout Pumas with dominant 57-22 win in Hamilton

New Zealand 57 - 22 Argentina, FMG Stadium Waikato
Scorecard  

The All Blacks ran eight tries against the Pumas at Waikato Stadium to secure a dominant 57-22 win during the Rugby Championship clash on Saturday.

The two teams were separated by just two points after the end of the 50th minute, when the All Blacks came alive to score five tries to completely bamboozle the visitors to secure a commanding 35-point margin win.

The visitors drew first blood by scoring an early try in the third minute of the game. After a steady midfield buildup and a great inside pass from fly-half Nicolas Sanchez, wing Santiago Cordero touched down for a try. Sanchez added the extras with a successful conversion.

However, the All Blacks scored the equalizer in the 11th minute after wing Julian Savea, assisted with a pass from scrum-half Aaron Smith, crossed over for a try. Fly-half Beauden Barrett's conversion leveled the scorecard for the hosts.

A handling error handed a penalty opportunity to the visitors in the 15th minute which was converted into three points by Sanchez.

A spilled pass in the 19th minute offered another penalty opportunity which was once again converted by Sanchez to help his side take a six-point lead.

Fullback Ben Smith crossed over for the second All Blacks try in the 24th minute after an incisive run by winger Savea which created open spaces inside Pumas' defence. Barrett's conversion offered the hosts a slender one-point lead.

However, a couple minutes later, third successful penalty kick from Sanchez's boot helped the visitors get ahead once again in the game.

In 32nd minute, three points came in for the hosts from the unlikely source of Israel Dagg, who nailed the penalty from long range.

A lovely little kick in behind the Pumas' defence from Smith sat up beautifully for Barrett as he skipped past the Pumas defence to score third try of the match for the hosts in the 36th minute. Barrett followed it up with a successful conversion kick.

Referee Craig Joubert awarded a penalty to the visitors on the penultimate minute of the first-half after flanker Sam Cane was penalized at the ruck. Sanchez helped his side reduce the gap to five points at the half-time whistle. 

Both the sides brought in a string of replacements immediately at the start of the second-half.

Another of Sanchez's penalty in the 50th minute brought the visitors hauntingly close to the All Blacks.

However, Steve Hansen's men up'd the tempo from thereon-wards centre Ryan Crotty scored a try on the 54th minute after some fantastic passage of play by Barrett, whose breaks opened up Pumas' defence. Barrett completed the job by successfully kicking the conversion.

A couple of minutes later, Savea, Smith and Barrett once again put in the hard work to put replacement prop Charlie Faumuina across the try line in the 57th minute. Barrett's conversion stretched the lead for the hosts to 16 points.

Crotty crossed over for his second try of the match 64th minute after a flat pass from replacement scrum-half TJ Perenara, which resulted from a terrific scrum. Barrett continued his perfect kicking record with another conversion as the lead was now stretched to 23 points.

Ben Smith picked up his second try of the match in the 67th minute after the fullback managed to pierce Pumas' defence following a highball. Aaron Cruden, who came in as a replacement for Barrett, successfully added the extras.

The All blacks continued its dominance as replacement lock Luke Romano scored another try for the home side in the 77th minute following a cross-field kick from Dagg. Cruden failed to slot the final kick of the match as the visitors succumbed to a heavy 57-22 defeat.

This result now makes it three wins in three matches for the All Blacks, who are now comfortably leading the points table with 15 points.