All Blacks v Pumas
Kick-off: 7.05pm, Saturday 17 April
Eden Park, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Teams named on Thursday
The All Blacks' shock 38-30 loss to the Pumas in Wellington has all of a sudden shifted the narrative of this weekend's return test at Eden Park.
What had been seen as two pretty straightforward fixtures for new coach Scott Robertson has turned into a serious test of his ability, against a fired up opposition that is out to make history.
What happened last weekend?
Quite simply, the All Blacks were outplayed by a technically superior team on the night. Much is made about the 'passion' of the Pumas, but the visitors simply kept a cool head when they had the ball and took their opportunities well. So well in fact, the 38 points the Pumas scored is a new record for the highest score against the All Blacks on home soil.
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, left, with captain Ardie Savea speak at a press conference after the All Blacks v Argentina test. Photo: Marty Melville/Actionpress
What changes might be made?
It is likely there will be at least one change on the wing, with the lack of a power running option evident in Wellington. Hometown hero Caleb Clarke looks like the most obvious man to remedy that, while in the forwards Ardie Savea probably needs a bit of help with his carrying workload, too. The lineout woes at the end of the first test may see a reshuffle too, but really there is no obvious magic bullet in the squad.
A big one would be bringing back former captain Sam Cane into the loose forwards, although that would be more of a defensive change up. Really though, this one will need a readjusted attitude and commitment to physicality from a wounded All Black team.
Captain Sam Cane walks on the field with his silver medal after South Africa won the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and the Springboks at the Stade de France. Photo: AFP / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT
When did the Pumas get good?
Argentine rugby has actually always been good, they have made three World Cup semi-finals and have decent records against all Tier One nations. The issue was that they seemed to save their worst performances for when they played the All Blacks, but that has changed somewhat in recent years. Key word is somewhat: while they now have three wins in the last four seasons, the other six meetings in that time have been defeats with a whopping 42-5 average score line.
What sort of crowd are we expecting?
The crowd size was a talking point in Wellington, although history tells us it was not anything other than what it had always been. This is Auckland though, so NZ Rugby should be going all out to make sure its premier venue of Eden Park is as full as possible. Tickets are on sale and range between $53-$148, it is likely that a fair few will be getting snapped up by Argentineans in the area.
Argentina players celebrate a try, Rugby Championship, New Zealand All Blacks v Argentina. Photo: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
The Eden Park factor
If the Pumas do pull off another upset win, they will make history as the first team to beat the All Blacks on Eden Park in 30 years. It is the 50th test in the All Blacks' since the All Blacks' last loss there, and only the second time the Pumas have played a test match in Auckland. However, Pumas captain Pablo Matera is one of the few international players to have tasted victory on Eden Park - he was part of the Crusaders' 2022 Super Rugby Pacific side that beat the Blues in the final.
What can we expect?
The loss last weekend means that the All Blacks are still very much looking for the one thing that New Zealanders expect out of them: predictability. It is hard to see them losing at Eden Park, given the record and how it probably plays into the heads of anyone who plays there, but the post-match reaction last Saturday from Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi suggested they go into this test aiming to go one better than the last side that beat the All Blacks.
For the All Blacks, nothing more than a convincing win is good enough to shut down some growing rumbles about the team's direction and style of play. Robertson came in on the promise that things would change, so it is time to start seeing it.
