A host of New Zealand rugby legends have slammed the All Blacks after they were beaten for the first time in international rugby Test history by Argentina.
Argentina shook off more than 13 months of inactivity (due to COVID-19) to post its first-ever win over New Zealand on Saturday, beating the All Blacks 25-15 in a Tri-Nations test on neutral ground at Sydney.
It was a momentous occasion for the Pumas who were unshakeable from the kick-off as they ran out on Bankwest Stadium with purpose and never looked back, outmuscling the New Zealanders on nearly every play.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Sir John Kirwan, who represented the All Blacks 63 times, didn't mince his words when he went in on the Kiwis.
"I must be in a dream, am I?" he asked.
"Did that really just happen? I've just heard someone say 'they played with more passion, they're playing for their country and they've got more want.' I don't think I've ever heard that about us before. They had that, but that's normally the stuff that we say [about the All Blacks]!
"You've got to turn up with physicality, you've got to turn up with want. That's a given when you turn up to any test match regardless of whether you're playing the number ten team in the world [as Argentina is currently ranked]. But the thing is also, we were tactically outplayed.
"The way the Pumas went into this – slowed everything down, they got in our faces, they were niggly. The All Blacks knew that [but still got sucked in].
"Then you look at the other aspect of the All Blacks game, the mental side. That's the side we've always been on top of so many teams, and we lost our way. They weren't quite there.
"When you lose that mental state and you can't get it back, when you're doing mistakes like that like slapping [rivals] on the face – that's not the All Blacks."
Former All Black Tabai Matson labelled the loss a historically bad performance by the New Zealand side.
"For an All Blacks team to only have one line break in a whole game of rugby, in 80 minutes, that must be the first time that's ever happened! We were well off."
But perhaps most on the money was former All Black Jeff Wilson who summed it up best: "We were outplayed pure(ly) and simply for 80 minutes."
A host of New Zealand rugby legends have slammed the All Blacks after they were beaten for the first time in international rugby Test history by Argentina.
Argentina shook off more than 13 months of inactivity (due to COVID-19) to post its first-ever win over New Zealand on Saturday, beating the All Blacks 25-15 in a Tri-Nations test on neutral ground at Sydney.
It was a momentous occasion for the Pumas who were unshakeable from the kick-off as they ran out on Bankwest Stadium with purpose and never looked back, outmuscling the New Zealanders on nearly every play.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Sir John Kirwan, who represented the All Blacks 63 times, didn't mince his words when he went in on the Kiwis.
"I must be in a dream, am I?" he asked.
"Did that really just happen? I've just heard someone say 'they played with more passion, they're playing for their country and they've got more want.' I don't think I've ever heard that about us before. They had that, but that's normally the stuff that we say [about the All Blacks]!
"You've got to turn up with physicality, you've got to turn up with want. That's a given when you turn up to any test match regardless of whether you're playing the number ten team in the world [as Argentina is currently ranked]. But the thing is also, we were tactically outplayed.
"The way the Pumas went into this – slowed everything down, they got in our faces, they were niggly. The All Blacks knew that [but still got sucked in].
"Then you look at the other aspect of the All Blacks game, the mental side. That's the side we've always been on top of so many teams, and we lost our way. They weren't quite there.
"When you lose that mental state and you can't get it back, when you're doing mistakes like that like slapping [rivals] on the face – that's not the All Blacks."
Former All Black Tabai Matson labelled the loss a historically bad performance by the New Zealand side.
"For an All Blacks team to only have one line break in a whole game of rugby, in 80 minutes, that must be the first time that's ever happened! We were well off."
But perhaps most on the money was former All Black Jeff Wilson who summed it up best: "We were outplayed pure(ly) and simply for 80 minutes."
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