The All Blacks were too strong for a much-improved Argentina side, coming away with a convincing victory in Brisbane.

Kolisi: Wallabies took opportunities, Boks ran out of steam

New Zealand put in a composed display to secure a 36-13 bonus-point victory over Argentina to further cement their position at the top of the Rugby Championship table.

The All Blacks looked at their devastating best across much of the first half. A try by Patrick Tuipulotu within the first five minutes signalled New Zealand’s intent. Consistently excellent handling by the men in black repeatedly stretched the Pumas defence and exposed holes on a number of occasions.

The black tide was unstoppable at times and the pressure eventually told with TJ Perenara crossing for the second try of the match after a period of sustained pressure in the Pumas red zone. As the clock went into the red, New Zealand crossed for their third try to further extend their lead, Tupou Vaa’i the grateful recipient after a multi-phase attack.

Three disallowed tries for the All Blacks in the first half flattered the half-time scoreline, not that much flattery was needed as New Zealand entered the sheds with a healthy 24-3 lead.

The Pumas showed more intent in the second stanza and struck back with a try of their own through Emiliano Bofelli. The wing neatly gathered a cross-field kick and did well to finish with three defenders on his back.

The Pumas looked to take the attack to the All Blacks in the second half and consistently asked questions of the defence. The ABs, however, seemed to have all the answers and for all the pressure they were put under remaining resolute on defence.

A late second try for lock Tupou Vaa’i added a bit more gloss to the scoreline for the All Blacks. New Zealand will feel content with the result and pleased that their defence stood firm, however, recognising there were a few uncharacteristic handling errors in the second half.