The TAB had Argentina as seven-to-one outsiders, and after the All Blacks had edged England and romped to victory against Fiji, that seemed a fair assessment. Oops.
But before digging into the problem areas with the New Zealanders, let’s quote Sean Fitzpatrick and give “full credit” to an Argentina side, superbly led by veteran Pablo Matera, who seized every opportunity with a coolness too often lacking in the New Zealand ranks.
Are the All Blacks a lost cause?
Not at all. Contrary to what some grumpy armchair experts may tell you, All Blacks teams of the past have lost, too. In August 2011, the All Blacks were beaten by South Africa and Australia.
“The wave of enthusiasm for the All Blacks has been reduced to a ripple,” was how one Sunday paper summed up the loss to the Wallabies at the time.
Two months later, the All Blacks won the World Cup.
But last weekend’s loss in Wellington pumps up the volume for Saturday’s test at Eden Park, which suddenly becomes a must-win and must-see match.
There will be enormous interest in whether Scott Robertson and his coaching staff can find answers to some serious questions about All Blacks fragilities exposed in the capital.
No laughing matter
You don’t expect to see what amounts to dark comedy in a test match.
But how else could you describe the slapping-back of the ball by Sevu Reece in the 37th minute which led to a runaway try for Pumas wing Mateo Carreras?
Or the 66th-minute pass Ardie Savea flung above Damian McKenzie’s head?
Or the pass, once he’d scrambled for the ball, McKenzie then made to open space?
The Savea-McKenzie horror show set up the scrum from which veteran Pumas hooker Agustin Creevy scored.
Grace under pressure (think golfer Lydia Ko in her Olympic gold-medal-winning last round, or Dame Lisa Carrington in the K1 kayak final) is the mark of a great sportsperson.
To some, it comes naturally. Others need to work their way towards it. A huge test for the All Blacks will be growing enough belief to be furiously physical but mentally cool and calculating at Eden Park on Saturday.
The yips
In golf, they call putting problems the yips, where hands are slightly shaky and what should be easy putts start rolling past the hole.
After lineout success in Wellington with Codie Taylor throwing, Asafo Aumua, a terrific round-the-field player, replaced him and the lineouts were suddenly a lottery.
When things are rattling, the answer often lies with not overreaching. Until Aumua was in his groove, surely simple front-of-the-lineout calls were the answer.
Sadly, in the 76th minute, down by five points and residing very much in the last-chance saloon, the All Blacks instead called for a difficult throw from Aumua to the back of the lineout. Like night following day, it went awry.
Farewell to arms
There was a hint of nostalgia in the selection of halfback TJ Perenara for what will have been his last test in front of his home crowd in Wellington.
Perenara is still as gutsy and competitive as when he first pulled on an All Blacks jersey in 2014. The problem is he’s not as quick as he was a decade ago.
There’s an element of chance in running with Cortez Ratima and Noah Hotham in Auckland, but to get best value from the backline’s pace, the new boys surely deserve a shot.
A light in the gloom
Sam Darry, in his first test start (he was a replacement against Fiji in San Diego), had the best locking debut I’ve seen since 21-year-old Gary Whetton was called into the All Blacks at late notice for the third test against South Africa at Eden Park in 1981.
Like Whetton did in that infamous flour bomb test, Darry played with the fearlessness of a veteran. Whetton would go on to play 58 tests, and barring injury, the same promise can be seen in Darry.
It helps that Darry is a giant (2.03m, the same height as Sam Whitelock) but the clinching elements are Darry’s skills in the air, whether at lineouts or kickoffs, and the energy he brings to his general play.
In Wellington, he effortlessly carried the form he showed for the Blues in their winning Super Rugby Pacific campaign into the international arena.
