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The All Blacks have secured a win against Argentina 41-24.
Match Snapshot
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Final Score: All Blacks 41-24 Argentina in their opening Test of the 2025 Rugby Championship in Córdoba.
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Six Tries vs. Three: New Zealand crossed for six tries, while Argentina answered with three.
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World No. 1 Returns: This win reclaimed the top spot in the World Rugby Rankings for the All Blacks; their first return to No. 1 since November 2021 .
First Half Domination
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The All Blacks dominated early, surging to a 31-10 halftime lead, thanks to four first-half tries .
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Sevu Reece scored two scintillating tries, bookending the first half.
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Additional tries came from Cortez Ratima (setup by Will Jordan) and Ardie Savea.
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Beauden Barrett was influential with the boot, adding a penalty and conversions, kicking 11 points in total.
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Argentina managed one reply through Rodrigo Isgro, capitalising on some midfield space
Argentina’s Resurgence in the Second Half
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Argentina came out swinging in the second half:
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Tomas Albornoz (fly-half) orchestrated a stunning solo try and added the boot to bring momentum back m.
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Joaquín Oviedo grounded another to cut the gap to just one converted score at 31–24.
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The All Blacks then regained control, choosing to kick for lineouts, which paid off handsomely:
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Samisoni Taukei’aho emerged, crashing over for two decisive maul tries in the 68th and 74th minutes
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Samisoni Taukei’aho: His brace of second-half maul tries were pivotal in extinguishing Argentina’s comeback, underlining his reliability as a match-winner.
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Sevu Reece: Showed sensational finishing, reinforcing his status as a lethal winger with two first-half tries.
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Cortez Ratima & Ardie Savea: Vital contributors; Ratima scored off a fine break, Savea continued to dominate the loose and the driving maul.
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Beauden Barrett: Reliable with the boot and tactically sound, adding crucial points and composure.
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Argentina’s Tomas Albornoz: A standout performer; kept his side in it with sharp play and 14 personal points
Discipline: Two yellow cards disrupted rhythm-Argentina’s Mayco Vivas early on, which the All Blacks exploited; later Billy Proctor was sin-binned, momentarily shifting momentum
Front-loading the game: The All Blacks set the tone early with high-output, clinical first-half execution. Bench impact: Taukei’aho’s introduction delivered two game-changing tries; bench depth paid dividends. Discipline swings: Yellow cards from both sides shaped momentum; Argentina’s cost them early, though New Zealand also showed vulnerability later. Finishing fluency, second-half slippage: Argentina exposed a drop in accuracy and composure in the All Blacks, who regrouped just in time. Lineout dominance: New Zealand’s structured play off penalties yielded quality set-piece platforms for physical go-forward tries
World No. 1 reclaimed: The win delivered immediate impact-New Zealand leapfrogged the Wallabies and Springboks to return to the top of the rankings. Series momentum: A strong start in the Rugby Championship; the bonus-point win places them in pole position. Historical context: Argentina remain winless at home against the All Blacks-a streak extended with this result
The All Blacks delivered a powerful, winning performance in Córdoba, built on early penetration, physicality, and smart substitutions. Argentina heavily tested them in the second half; showing they’re far from pushovers at home; but New Zealand found the composure to finish strong. With the world number one ranking reclaimed and a Rugby Championship bonus point in hand, the All Blacks have landed a statement victory-setting the pace for weeks ahead.
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