Pumas Almost Pull off the Impossible

It required a try, two minutes into injury-time to spare All Black blushes and give them a 24-20 win over Argentina at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. They trailed 20-17 as the game drifted to a close but then Ben Blair broke the first line of defence and threw out a long pass for No 8 Scott Robertson to score the winning try with Andrew Mehrtens landing the difficult conversion. The All Blacks were always playing catch-up in an error-ridden game. They trailed 3-7 after 20 minutes, were behind 8-10 at halftime and when they trailed by three points on the stroke of full time, Argentina had the opportunity to stretch that advantage, but goal kicker Felipe Contepomi missed a penalty attempt from point-blank range. And it was Argentina who provided them with the opportunity to snatch victory.

Wing Doug Howlett started the counter-attack that took play to the Pumas goal-line. But under pressure, Contepomi sliced his clearance and provided the All Blacks with the platform to launch that last winning surge.