New Zealand 41 defeated Argentina 7 in a one-off test match played at Waikato Stadium on Saturday.

The All Blacks opened the scoring with a try to Mose Tuali’i after Chris Jack broke through the mid field. Argentina were quick to strike with a try to Federico Aramburu as a result of an intercept near the All Black line.

First five-eighth Andrew Mehrtens, making his first test start for more than one year and a half, started off poorly. From the initial kickoff Mehrtens kicked the ball out on the full and the interception of his pass lead to the Argentine try. He did kick well scoring 16 points with a 100% strike rate.

New Zealand winger Joe Rokocoko scored his 22nd try in just his 15th test after receiving a pass from Tana Umaga which looked slightly forward.

The Pumas really put in a strong game and the final score line does not reflect the difference on the field between the teams. The effort from the All Black’s forwards was ordinary, the lineout was quite a step down from previous weeks.

All Blacks: Tries: Mose Tuali’i, Tana Umaga, Joe Rokocoko, Sam Tuitupou, Mils Muliaina. Con: Andrew Mehrtens (5). Pen: Mehrtens (2)

Argentina: Tries: Federico Aramburu. Con: Hernan Senilosa

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