This was the backlash All Blacks captain Sam Cane so badly needed from his men.
The All Blacks’ 38-0 bonus point victory over Argentina in the suffocating heat in Newcastle on Saturday night was, quite possibly, the most important victory of Cane’s short tenure as leader of the national rugby side and now there’s a great chance his side will win the Tri Nations to boot.
Whether that happens will hinge on the outcome of the final match of the series between the Puma and the Wallabies next weekend.
But bank on the All Blacks taking the silverware; they have 11 competition points, 5 more than their opponents, and the Pumas and Aussies will have to score 75 and 98 points, respectively, to overtake them on points differential.
Right now, the All Blacks can feel satisfied that they have proved to the world that they are still capable of burning opponents with a hot attack and a clever game plan.
Yes, retaining the Bledisloe Cup was an important milestone in his first year as the skipper of our national rugby side, but just imagine what it would have been like for Cane and coach Ian Foster if they had to spend the summer thinking about back-to-back losses to the Pumas after the 25-15 loss a fortnight earlier.
It would be like having a ball of fire sitting in the guts.
This win was secured by the actions of super-substitute Will Jordan, who replaced Jordie Barrett on the right wing mid-way through the second half and scored two cracking tries within the space of a couple of minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium.
His first made the Pumas’ shoulders slump and their legs feel even heavier after spending most of the game being forced to defend.
The second obliterated any hope they had of salvaging anything from the ashes.
Having two weeks to stew on the historic defeat to the Pumas in Sydney meant the All Blacks had ample time to plan for this revenge mission.
Their intent and passion was evident from the outset, and you could only ask why they didn’t play with such fire and aggression in the earlier fixture.
Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett varied their kicking strategies, delivering dinks, cross-kicks and accurate bombs to negate the Pumas’ defence.
And the efforts from the tight five was excellent. Tighthead prop Nepo Laulala put in a tremendous shift, while lock Scott Barrett’s willingness to carry the ball in the opening quarter provided the go-forward that was so lacking in the defeat in Sydney.
No 8 Ardie Savea, who scored a try off a lineout 12 minutes after the break, was much improved after a quiet night a fortnight earlier.
The All Blacks had to have been frustrated, and worried, to lead just 10-0 at halftime, given the glut of possession and territory they had worked so hard to achieve (74 and 83 per cent respectively); they should have had the Pumas tacked out, salted and ready to be shipped to the taxidermist with those sorts of numbers in their favour.
Instead, a combination of desperate defence by the South Americans and missed chances by the All Blacks meant the margin was too narrow for anyone in a black jersey to feel comfortable as they wrapped their heads in wet towels during the break.
Chances were blown either side of Dane Coles getting on the score sheet after a long skip pass by Mo’unga connected with the rake as he hit top gear down the outside channel.
Earlier, Mo’unga popped through a chip kick but the ball squirted off Anton Lienert-Brown’s hand, Jordie Barrett couldn’t make a cross kick from brother Beauden stick and Caleb Clarke scraped the touch line as he tried to sneak inside the corner flag.
But All Blacks fans, it turned out, had nothing to worry about. Thanks to the second half blitz, and the efforts from Jordan, this was the response they wanted.
All Blacks 38 (Will Jordan 2, Dane Coles, Ardie Savea, Patrick Tuipulotu tries; Richie Mo’unga 5 con, pen) Argentina 0. HT: 10-0
