Wing three-quarter Ben Smith scored two tries, his second worth a bonus point, as New Zealand unleashed the power of their backs in the second half to beat Argentina 33-15 and all but secure the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
Barely 11-9 ahead at the interval after wing Julian Savea had run in their first try, the All Backs put the match beyond the Pumas with two more tries early in the second half from flanker Sam Cane and Smith’s first.
Smith earned the All Blacks the bonus point with his second try in the final move of the match to send New Zealand into the decider in South Africa next Saturday five points ahead of the second-placed Springboks, who beat Australia 28-8 earlier.
Bonus point clincher
"I think that (bonus point) could be crucial. We worked very hard to get that in the end," said New Zealand captain Kieran Read.
Flyhalf Aaron Cruden kicked 11 points to 12 for his opposite number Nicolas Sanchez, with centre Marcelo Bosch adding a penalty for Argentina from the halfway line.
The All Blacks, checked by a strong Pumas defence, fed off scraps in the first half but went in 11-9 up at half-time.
“[Argentina] came out firing and kept the crowd in it for that first half . . . but full credit to the way the Argentines came at us. It was a top game out there,” said Read.
Left wing Savea ran in the only try of the first half when he pounced on the loose ball after an Argentine high kick and raced away to touch down in the corner in New Zealand’s first incursion beyond the Argentine 22 in the 23rd minute.
Cruden was given a second chance with the conversion, after missing the first, because of encroaching by Argentina but he also failed with that.
Argentina pinned New Zealand into their half for the first quarter and a good part of the second as Sanchez and Cruden exchanged penalties with Savea’s try putting New Zealand ahead 8-6 for the first time.
Argentina forced the All Blacks into mistakes that brought them penalties.
Trading penalties
In the opening five minutes of the second half, Bosch put Argentina ahead again with a penalty but Cruden restored the visitors' lead.
The All Blacks then scored two tries as piercing runs destabilised the home defence.
New Zealand scored their second through Cane after attack through several phases.
The backs had the extra man to pierce the defence with Ma’a Nonu slipping the ball to Cane to touch down in the corner before Nonu set up Smith minutes later.
“They put a lot of pressure on us. We lost our discipline a little bit and that’s why they’re the best,” said Pumas captain Juan Fernandez Lobbe. “We’re going to throw everything into this last game of the Rugby Championship,” he said looking ahead to the wooden spoon decider at home to Australia in Rosario next Saturday.
Argentina regrouped and kept New Zealand at bay until the dying seconds of the match.