Rugby World Cup: English press say All Blacks 'looked beatable' against Argentina

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw drives forward against Argentina. Photo/NZ Herald Brett Phibbs

The English press have declared that the All Blacks "looked beatable" after their hard-fought 26-16 victory over Argentina in their World Cup Pool C opening clash yesterday.

Examining 10 things we learned from the weekend's matches, The Telegraph suggests that Argentina's committed display revealed it was possible to rattle the All Blacks.

Under the sub-heading "Kiwis are not infallible" the story detailed how "Some people had crowned the All Blacks champions before a ball had been kicked or a tackle made but Argentina showed on Sunday at Wembley that it is possible to throw the world champions off their stride, albeit in a losing cause. The rest of the rugby world would take note."

The Telegraph lauded Barnes' ability to talk to the TMO on the run to keep time stoppages to a minimum and claimed his preference to maintain the flow of the game meant "a new blueprint has been set."

The article goes on to explain how "with all the controversy over the delays caused by the referees' reliance on TMOs, England's Wayne Barnes showed the way forward when he took charge of the All Blacks and Argentina at Wembley, repeatedly consulting his video official while 'on the hoof' and so avoiding interminable stoppages in play."

Other points included in the article claimed Japan coach Eddie Jones is "a miracle worker" for overseeing his side's monumental upset win over South Africa, while England's front-row woes continued after Fiji's forwards exposed the host-nation's struggles at scrum time.

On a positive note, concerns about ticket pricing for the tournament have eased after 89,019 fans packed Wembley Stadium to watch the All Blacks overcome the Pumas with the article saying: "to attract that many spectators to a game not involving the host nation speaks volumes about the popularity of the tournament."

The article goes on to declare Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo "has already earned himself cult status with his very passable impression of Jonah Lomu,"and also lamented how Georgia's stunning 17-10 win over Tonga was "almost instantly overshadowed by Japan's heroics in the South Africa game."