Los Pumas will know they need to batter the All Blacks off their feet. The cliché is that the match is won up front and for Argentina it is exactly that. With many narratives intertwined into this Test, it makes for a fascinating clash in Mendoza this weekend. However, even with Ian Foster’s men showing uncharacteristic traits over the past few years they are still, well, the All Blacks and that means they have the potential to find their absolute best in a moment. Los Pumas show growth every time they take to the field and head coach Michael Cheika will be demanding his players go out there and get their first win against New Zealand on home soil. This provides Argentina with a unique opportunity to harness the typically passionate and hostile environment on their home turf to rattle the All Blacks, who have not been their cool, calm collected selves this World Cup cycle. However, that has not been helped by the Covid-19 disruptions and the reintegration of the ‘mini-tour’ structure, which means the All Blacks have not played in South America since 2019. Interestingly, none of this success has come at home. This era of Argentinian rugby has had the most success against the All Blacks since the two teams first played in 1985, grabbing their first win against New Zealand in 2020 before following that up with another triumph two years later. This year’s Rugby Championship is upon us with the opening round of blockbuster clashes, including an intriguing Test between Argentina and New Zealand in Mendoza.
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