If history is anything to go by, New Zealand will trounce Argentina in the second round of the Rugby Championship at Eden Park on Saturday and avenge their 38-30 loss last weekend.
After their previous defeats to the Pumas, in Sydney in 2020 and Christchurch in 2022, the All Blacks responded fiercely with 38-0 and 53-3 victories over the Argentines in the return fixtures.
Coach Scott Robertson is taking no chances for Saturday’s Auckland clash, however, and on Thursday added former captain Sam Cane to his team as loose forward cover on the bench.
“Experience,” he fired back immediately when asked what the 95-cap flanker would bring to the side.
“He’s so experienced and he’s got the ability to play a couple of positions, and he knows what these big Test matches are about,” Robertson added.
“His influence on the group, his little bit of gold just at the timing of the information, how it’s delivered. His tone is pretty special, so there’s another opportunity for him in the black jersey.”
The All Blacks lost a huge amount of experience when the usual round of retirements and departures for lucrative contracts abroad came at the end of last year’s World Cup.
Three of the 10 most capped New Zealanders were no longer available to Robertson when he took over as coach for this season.
Sam Whitelock (153 caps) and Brodie Retallick (109) were the second-row engine room for more than a decade, while scrumhalf Aaron Smith (125) and fly-half Richie Mo’unga (56) had steered the All Blacks around the park at two World Cups.
Cane will join them in bringing an end to his Test career at the end of the season but has offered himself to Robertson for the remainder of the year.
If he never plays for his country again, Saturday will also offer Cane the chance to bookend his career with a match other than last year’s World Cup final in Paris, where he was sent off as the All Blacks lost to South Africa.
Robertson conceded that there had been a lack of calm in his side at the end of last week’s clash as the Pumas scored 10 points to none in the last 11 minutes to clinch victory.
“Yeah, I think calmness is something Sam’s got in his game,” Robertson said. “Great messages at the right time.”
South Africa, meanwhile, have made 10 changes to their side for the second Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday, but new captain Salmaan Moerat has warned their hosts to expect a fired-up Springbok team eager to impress.
South Africa won their tournament opener against the Wallabies 33-7 in Brisbane last weekend, and after the clash in Perth head home for two Tests against old foes New Zealand in what will be pivotal matches in the competition.
Moerat will lead the team in the absence of rested Siya Kolisi and says there is plenty of motivation for the players who have come into the side this week with the All Blacks looming on the horizon.
“One thing that’s for certain is that everyone in this team is desperate for this chance and they want to cement their places in the squad with an eye on the New Zealand Tests,” Moerat said.
“If we can get a good result going into the All Black Tests in South Africa it would give us a lot of confidence. I thought the team was exceptional last week.
“Everyone bought into the plan and they were desperate [to win]. We are determined to back it up this weekend.”
Moerat came off the bench in the first game and expects a backlash from the hosts, who have made five changes to their starting line-up for the fixture in Perth.
“Australia will be desperate to turn things around, and we are well aware of that, so our challenge will be to be equally as desperate, if not more desperate on Saturday,” he added.
“They have a forward pack that has a lot of pride in their scrum and set pieces. [Australia prop] Angus Bell is a quality player, along with several other of their forwards, so we are expecting a massive battle.
“From our side, the guys are excited and ready to go.”
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