Argentina were left to pick up the pieces after suffering a 42-10 defeat to the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship match in Auckland on Saturday.

After a surprise win over the same opponents in the corresponding match in Wellington last week, Los Pumas went into the return leg full of confidence but were unable to repeat their previous performance.

In the end, the All Blacks beat the visitors by six tries to one and extended their record of 50 games without defeat at Eden Park.

Argentine head coach Felipe Contepomi was frustrated after the hosts outclassed his team on the other side of the pitch.

“We knew what was coming, but there was nothing we could do about it,” he said after the game. “New Zealand played very well and adapted much better to the weather conditions.”

Mistakes can be expensive

“We made several mistakes and they made a difference that could not be recovered later.

“I emphasise the attitude of the boys who fought until the end and that must serve to learn from it and take a step forward against Australia.”

Despite the defeat, Contepomi said his team would start from scratch before continuing with the rest of the Rugby Championship campaign.

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“Coming to New Zealand is always difficult but we’re a third of the way through the championship,” he added. “Numbers-wise it’s not that bad but we judge ourselves on what we set out to do and what we did or didn’t do on the field; out there for our evaluation.”

Los Pumas captain Julian Montoya echoed his coach’s sentiments, saying the All Blacks deserved to be winners but praising his team for not giving up.

“We were not good enough. We made a lot of mistakes that they took advantage of very well,” he said. “I am also reminded of the fact that we always had the attitude to keep fighting.”

“Now it’s time to look inward and analyse what we need to do better. We need to be humble in both defeats and victories, as we still have four games to play in this tournament.”

Despite the disappointment of the defeat, experienced defender Pablo Matera said it was important to look at the bigger picture and focus on bouncing back in the upcoming home Tests against Australia.

“It’s not all negative”

“If we make an overall assessment, it was a good tour,” he commented. “It’s not only negative when you lose, and it’s not only positive when you win.”

“We must learn from this. We must continue to have confidence in the path we are taking.”

“We have one day to look inside and analyse. We have the great opportunity to play two games in Argentina, which is a great privilege. We will look for the best version of this team.”

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