Argentina have shocked the rugby world, handing the All Blacks a 38 - 30 loss in Wellington this morning. The dramatic result earned Los Pumas not only their second-ever win in New Zealand, but their highest-ever points tally there.
While nothing should take away from Argentina's historic achievement in Wellington, a string of catastrophic passes summed up New Zealand's uncharacteristic day perfectly.
On a day when new head coach Scott 'Razor' Robertson suffered his first loss in charge, the statistics proved damning for a rugby-mad country bemused by their own struggles.
Until 2020, Argentina had never overcome the All Blacks in test rugby, today they recorded their third victory in four years - an astonishing feat by any rugby nation, let alone one that is relatively new to the successes of test rugby.
While to mere mortals such a record may seem like the birth of a rivalry, to New Zealand fans who had witnessed just a single home loss in the five years prior to Ireland's 2022 tour there, to losing four in two years is quite the fall from grace.
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Catastrophic mistake sums up All Blacks performance against Los Pumas
As Irish fans know only too well, any team that travels to New Zealand and beats them in their own backyard thoroughly deserves the credit that comes with it. However, looking over a completely uncharacteristic performance from the All Blacks today is hard.
In a moment rightly being described as the turning point in the match, New Zealand fumbled a pair of unpressurised passes, costing themselves fifty metres of territory and a scrum on their own five-metre line - a mistake you'd be unlikely to see watching schoolboy rugby on a rainy day in Donnybrook, never mind by a side who until recently seemed to have divine protection from making mistakes.
Turning point here. New Zealand nab the lineout but lose *50* metres and cough up a five-metre scrum with two inexplicably bad passes. pic.twitter.com/fuGToLDOHl
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) August 10, 2024
Argentina wasted no time capitalising on New Zealand's implosion, barging their way over the line less than two minutes later, and earning themselves a five-point lead with just ten minutes left on the clock.
Those reactions from Argentina! 🙌
Both sides giving absolutely everything! 💥 pic.twitter.com/MW8XELJla8
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) August 10, 2024
Despite the All Blacks' fame for crucifying their opposition's mistakes, the shoe was on the other foot today, as Argentina punished a sloppy All Blacks side and claimed a historic win in one of rugby's most revered stadiums.
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