Counties mauled by convincing Pumas

By CHRIS RATTUE

Argentina 70 Counties Manukau 26

Argentina remain a mystery package for the All Blacks, despite their overwhelming win over Counties Manukau at Pukekohe.

On a surface hit by a deluge of rain an hour before kickoff yesterday, the Pumas sprinted out of the blocks and the Steelers threw in a catch-up cameo, before the visitors cantered to an 11-tries-to-four victory.

Argentina, indulging on a madcap geographical adventure on this four-game tour, fielded a test-like side, but were never tested themselves.

Despite the efforts of a ground announcer who urged the crowd to get behind Counties Manukau, even suggesting they tell referee Paddy O'Brien what they thought of a decision against the home side, Argentina were a few classes above.

Counties Manukau were missing three top forwards, the injured Chiefs flanker Koula Tukino, New Zealand Maori flanker Hare Makiri, and the fast-rising New Zealand Colt Kristian Ormsby.

That blunted their firepower and the forwards were often smashed apart, while the backs' hesitancy on defence helped Argentina to a 39-0 lead after just 35 minutes.

"They look organised and fit ... they were very efficient at scrums, mauled very well and reacted well under pressure," Steelers coach Andrew Talaimanu said.

He said it was pointless to use the match as a guide to Saturday's test in Christchurch.

And, after the side's 44-point drubbing, you could not argue with his other assessment.

"I think we let ourselves down ... you could hardly take any positives out of that."

But Argentina could hardly have done any better in front of a 4000-strong crowd, about 2000 down on what Counties Manukau had hoped for before the rain turned their grass-bank grandstand into undesirable land.

On Argentina's previous visit, in 1997, they lost the opener to New Zealand Maori before suffering 85- and 52-point defeats in the test matches.

One of their standout players yesterday was Agustin Pichot, the little halfback with the 1970s rock star haircut, who plays for Bristol and is rated among the best in his position in world rugby.

Like Talaimanu, he said little could be read into yesterday's result in relation to the test.

"It was a very pleasing start. Any team from the NPC is a high standard," he said. I don't think any of our teams have ever started so convincingly in New Zealand.

"But the All Blacks are a completely different story. And we did give up 26 points today."

Argentina will be briefly based in Mt Maunganui, an hour-and-a-half's drive from their next match against Thames Valley in Paeroa tomorrow. They then fly in three groups from Tauranga to Christchurch on Wednesday - a haphazard arrangement compared to the military precision of All Black schedules.

Still, perhaps a bit of adversity will fire them up in the test.

Talaimanu will be hoping something can ignite his side later in the year.

Being destroyed by one of the battlers in world rugby is hardly the ideal preview to this NPC season, where the 11th team will automatically be relegated from the first division.

"We had some club footballers making a big jump up today. We've got a lot of work to do," he said.