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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the opening match of the 2015 Rugby Championship. Plenty of fans in the house, particularly, with Dan Carter and Richie McCaw likely playing their final Test in Christchurch, but Los Pumas also have their supporters.
Cold but clear in Christchurch. Good conditions for rugby. No excuses for anyone.
Here's a last-minute chance to check out Sam Bruce's match preview, and also to swot up on some key tournament stats. Did you know that Julian Savea has scored nine tries in 15 Rugby Championship Tests, including eight in six Tests against Argentina? You do now!
Got to love the Argentine anthem: intro goes longer than the words. Great rendition from Anna Hoetjes.
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| 1 |
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Just as we get underway through Dan Carter, this is pretty cool content from World Rugby. Your author got South Africa #VineRoulette
Manuel Carizza takes the ball comfortably and sets up a maul from which Tomas Cubelli clears to Izzy Dagg inside his own half. All Blacks look to counter but Sonny Bill Williams spills the ball on halfway.
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| 2 |
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Solid first scrum from both sounds.Nicolas Sanchez and Horacio Agulla combine to sweep left and exploit space behind Waisake Naholo on debut, but Charles Piutau is there to clear.
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| 4 |
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Kieran Read charges down a kick from Nicolas Sanchez, and the Pumas are too slow to arrive at the ruck. Penalty NZ for holding on to the ball in the tackle.
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| 5 |
3 - 0 |
Dan Carter is on target from 40 metres, kissing the inside of the right upright as he looked at it.
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| 6 |
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Pumas offisde from the kick-off to gift cheap possession. All Blacks win the lineout and move to Pumas 22 after clearing kick.
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| 8 |
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Nicolas Sanchez clares from own 22 but misses touch, and Pumas in trouble as they look a little tired a static moving the pill while the All Blacks are moving up quickly in the defensive line.
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| 10 |
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Pumas win the scrum, but massive contest and go forward through Juan Manuel Leguizamon only after struggling to strike. Argentina win penalty after Richie McCaw doesn't toll away at the ensuing ruck.
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| 12 |
3 - 3 |
Nicolas Sanchez strikes smoothly from in front just inside the NZ 10m.
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| 14 |
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NZ putting the ball through hands and phases until spilling in contact inside Argentina 22. Cubelli clears but Waisake Naholo recycles with a spectacular airborne take inside Argentina half. New Zealand continue to recycle left and right under advantage before Richie McCaw is bundled into touch. All Blacks offloading well in contact, particularly Waisake Naholo.
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| 16 |
6 - 3 |
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| 17 |
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All Blacks looking threatening, with Dan Carter running at the line and Israel Dagg making a strong bust there down the left.
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| 18 |
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All Blacks create an overlap on the left and only strong defence from Tuculet keeps Piutau out. NZ recycle again right under advantage and Ma'a Nonu makes a half-break before Dan Carter is held up on the line. New Zealand kick the penalty to touch.
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| 20 |
11 - 3 |
Richie McCaw scores his 27th Test try, and his 16th in the Rugby Championship after Jerome Kaino wins the lineout at the front. McCaw comes round the front and is driven over. Excellent set move. All Blacks all business tonight.
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| 23 |
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New Zealand win their first scrum of the night, striking cleanly, and set out to spread the ball to stretch te defence before Naholo drops the ball. Israel Dagg playing well, as Craig Dowd said he had to.
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| 25 |
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Argentina won that scrum easily but ball noticeably fed into second row and they're struggling to establish a rhythm.
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| 27 |
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Pumas establishing phases through back-rowers, but going nowhere and spill ball. TJ Perenara clears to Dan carter and the All Blacks are away before Pumas win a penalty when Piutau fails to release in contact.
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| 28 |
11 - 3 |
Pumas drive from the ensuing lineout but blow the opportunity when Nicolas Sanchez strikes an awful attempt at a drop goal.
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| 29 |
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Mini game of forcings back that ends with NZ lineout inside own 22. NZ take the lineout quickly and Waisake Naholo busts first-phase impressively before Pumas win penalty on halfway.Marcelo Bosch kicks but misses to the right. Not sure he had the distance either.
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| 30 |
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Argentina spill the dropout, and New Zealand look to counter but they're stopped and put backwards with a strong counter-ruck. Richie McCaw penalised for hands in the ruck. Game establishing a pattern with NZ looking to play with width and the Pumas brutal at the breakdown.
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| 32 |
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| 33 |
11 - 6 |
Sanchez - penalty goal
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| 35 |
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NZ attack in first phase off the back of the scrum with Read and Perenara feeding SBW and Nonu direct. Phases and Sonny Bill Williams delivers a one-handed over-the-top offload to release Kieran Read outside while drawing two defenders. Argentina penalised at the breakdown.
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| 36 |
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Carter pulls the kick badly from the touchline.
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| 37 |
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Sanchez bombs the dropout straight into touch, and NZ have 22m scrum centre field with attackers split either side.
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| 39 |
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Argentina pushed early so we're back at a re-set.
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| 40+1 |
16 - 6 |
NZ go left to Sonny Bill Williams before coming back left. Argentina looking stretched and Waisake Naholo drives through two tackles. Ma'a Nonu has a two-on-one advantage but used his step and power to pile over the line through three poor high tackles. Great hands from Luke Romano and Sonny Bill Williams in that final phase.
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| 40+2 |
18 - 6 |
Carter converts brilliantly from the left touchline, and New Zealand are delivering a statement of intent. Dan Carter says the All Blacks are building pressure and phases but they're turning over ball "too easily". We're off to oranges. Back shortly for the second stanza.
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All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster says they've shown better intent during training and are running better lines during the match.
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| 40 |
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We're underway again with Nicolas Sanzhez, and Luke Romano collects and Israel Dagg clears long into Argentina territory. Sonny Bill Williams hits Tuculet hard and is up to his feet immediately, and Argentina concede their sixth penalty on halfway. Carter going for goal. The kick is short and right of the posts.
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| 42 |
23 - 6 |
NZ secure the restart and set out to go left immediately through SBW and Kieran Read. Two phases later and Jerome kaino gives a pass to put Charles Piutau over with ease, and this threatens to get out of hand.
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| 43 |
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Argentina's restarts have been poor throughout, and they're gifting possession too easily.
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| 44 |
25 - 6 |
Dan Carter meanwhile kicks the conversion from wide on the left.
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| 46 |
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New Zealand are moving the ball at will, and seemingly only mistakes and lack of patience will cost them. Sonny Bill Williams puts Waisake Naholo into space with a superb offload, but the winger steps on the touchline and spills the ball. One feels only a matter of time.
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| 48 |
30 - 6 |
Pumas try to run the ball from a scrum on their 22, centrefiled, but Sonny Bill Williams stops the runs as soon as it starts and the Pumas are set backwards. The continue to try to move the ball before Kieran Read picks up a loose pass to cross under the posts. That's Kieran Read's 18th Test try, and he'll be short odds to add to the tally tonight.
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| 49 |
32 - 6 |
Carter - conversion
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| 50 |
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Argentina simply cannot get across the gainline with anything approaching momentum and now TJ Perenara strips the pille from a back-rower. The All Blacks go right and they're deep in Pumas territory after another power break from Waisake Naholo on his last play of the game. The winger limps off having enjoyed a fine debut that lacked only a try.
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| 52 |
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Pumas win the scrum but yet again the set-piece goes sideways and thereafter their going laterally left and right without making any progress.
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| 53 |
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Pumas recycling well, with 13 phases, but they barely cleared halfway before Kieran Read was penalised for not releasing the tackled player.
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| 55 |
32 - 11 |
Pumas now have 5m attacking lineout after NZ penalised for not rolling away and Nicolas Sanchez goes for the corner.Agustin Creezy crosses the line unmolested in the right corner after Argentina win the lineout and set up a driving maul. Good set-piece for the tourists.
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| 58 |
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Argentina putting multiple phases together, with Horacio Agulla increasingly involved, and they're back in the NZ 22 after Nicolas Sanchez kicks another penalty for touch.
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| 60 |
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Argentina win another lineout on the 22, and then drive easily towards the line before the All Blacks collapse. The Pumas kick for another 5m lineout.
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| 61 |
32 - 18 |
Agustin Creevy bags his second try of the night after another lineout drive, this time going to the left, Big hint of offside from the man at the front of the drive as he did not looked connected to those behind, but you don;t think other teams have noticed hopw the pumas have scored their brace?
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| 63 |
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The game has changed shape and momentum in amazing fashion, with Argentina now showing intent and ability to get over the gainline, although they are perhaps lucky not to have conceded again; the All Blacks put the ball though hands and Codie Taylor crosses on debut only to be denied as Richie McCaw is demmed to have won the breakdown illegally.
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| 66 |
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All Blacks now firmly on the attack, but it's all a little flustered and rushed in the face of smashing offensive defence.
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| 67 |
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All Blacks awarded a scrum centrefield on the 5m line; plenty of space on the open right side.
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| 68 |
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Argentina penalised at the scrum, and Kieran Read tries a quick tap but it's a shemozzle with the Pumas offside. Back to another 5m scrum.
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| 69 |
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Kieran Read picks and goes at the base, but NZ fail to win a scrappy ruck. Pumas penalised again at the breakdown, and referee Craig Joubert has told them they can't keep conceding penalties.
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| 70 |
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TJ Perenara denied a try after the ball spills from the scrum, referee Joubert adjudicating the scrum had wheeled for a change of possession.
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| 71 |
37 - 18 |
All Blacks over through Codie taylor after they destroy the Pumas scrum. All Blacks scrum has been particularly impressive tonight, particularly early before the changes.
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| 73 |
39 - 18 |
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| 75 |
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All Blacks have just shoved the Pumas off their own scrum, with the ball having bee at the back. New Zealand have certainly reasserted themselves after that spirited comeback from the Pumas.
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| 77 |
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New Zealand continue to move the ball left and right, looking threatening, until Ryan Crotty spills the ball in contact attempting an offload. Pumas unable to benefit from the scrum before they are awarded a penlty because Mccaw was disconnected.
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| 78 |
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Big bust up the middle from Landajo and Bosh, after the scrum-half stepped inside the cover from a set-piece on halfway, but the All Blacks get back to cover and clear their lines.
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| 80 |
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That's all she wrote, folks, with New Zealand showing substantial improvement from Samoa, delivering pace and no little precision in a game that featured a silly amount of offloads. Richie McCaw said "we played some good rugby at times" although he suggested discipline let them down in the middle of the second half. "It's a step in the right direction."
Argentina will be disappointed with their overall effort, but they can only improve for the run and they do not face the world No.1 again until September 20 at Wembley Stadium.
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