07:14 AM
8 mins: NZ 0 ARG 0
The Argentina attack is a little clunky and it’s you know who, Mr Retallick, one of the game’s greats, over the ball to win a holding-on penalty.
07:13 AM
6 mins: NZ 0 ARG 0
All there is to say is that Kremer and Matera love playing against New Zealand, it seems. Two of Argentina’s stars from 2020 – and two of the best players in the world – have been totally out of sorts so far this year – but not today!
Jordie Barrett spills a high bomb after putting the up and under in and, as Argentina look to attack in midfield, Laulala is stranded offside.
Sanchez gives the Pumas a lineout on the New Zealand 22.
07:09 AM
3 mins: NZ 0 ARG 0
New Zealand knock on in the wide channels and Argentina look to counter!
A good carry from Gigena and a silky step from Sanchez create momentum, but then there’s a spill from the Pumas in midfield.
The All Blacks will put in to the scrum just inside their own half.
07:07 AM
Kick-off
Wowzer!
New Zealand get us under way. Matera is underneath it and carries hard but he is absolutely train-wrecked by Laulala. That was a car crash.
Regardless, Argentina clear and New Zealand will throw in on halfway.
07:06 AM
That’s the anthems and haka over and done with…
Here we go!
07:01 AM
Five minutes until kick-off – what to expect?
The fiery Latin core at the heart of the Argentinian effort means they can never be taken lightly, but surely there is little to no chance that they will repeat their heroics from last year. Against South Africa, they looked a few notches away from their best – hardly ideal when your next opposition is the All Blacks.
New Zealand, as ever, have looked consummate in their victories over the Wallabies, improving with every game under head coach Ian Foster. They are fallible, however, and are not quite at the level we expect from the dominant nation in world rugby, but they will have little issue today in the neutral venue of Queensland.
06:59 AM
Lienert-Brown and Sam Whitelock out for New Zealand
Morning all and welcome to our live coverage.
The most important news before kick-off is that Anton Lienert-Brown has pulled out of the New Zealand team to face Argentina.
The centre has been forced to withdraw from the meeting with the Pumas due to a hamstring strain and has been replaced in Ian Foster’s starting line-up by Rieko Ioane.
Lienert-Brown’s absence also means Quinn Tupaea will take Ioane’s place on the bench for the game on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Here are the teams
New Zealand: J. Barrett, Reece, R. Ioane, Havili, Bridge, B. Barrett, Perenara, Tuinukuafe, Aumua, Laulala, Retallick, S. Barrett, A. Ioane, Papali’i, Jacobson. Replacements: Taukeiaho, Moody, Lomax, Vaa’i, Blackadder, Weber, McKenzie, Tupaea.
Argentina: Mallia, Delguy, Moroni, de la Fuente, Carreras, Sanchez, Bertranou, Gigena, Montoya, Medrano, Petti, Alemanno, Matera, Kremer, Bruni. Replacements: Bosch, Muzzio, Pieretto, Lavanini, Gonzalez, Garcia, Chocobares, Boffelli.
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
In other news this morning, New Zealand captain Sam Whitelock will not feature in the remainder of this season’s Rugby Championship due to quarantine issues, the All Blacks have announced.
Whitelock did not travel to Australia with the rest of the All Blacks squad for the competition as he, Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith, remained in New Zealand on paternity leave.
The final matches in four-nation competition are being played in Queensland from Sunday until Oct. 2, but the 32-year-old was unable to secure a place in quarantine in Australia early enough to be available.
“Samuel Whitelock is to stay in New Zealand and will miss the rest of the Rugby Championship,” New Zealand Rugby said in a statement.
“The timing of arrival meant that Whitelock would have exited his two weeks’ hard quarantine with not enough time for a tight forward to safely prepare to play against South Africa on October 2.
“New Zealand Rugby understands that quarantine spots in Queensland are limited and are hugely appreciative of the efforts by Queensland Health, Rugby Australia and SANZAAR in assisting with this matter.”
Mo’unga, however, will arrive in Queensland on Tuesday and is expected to be available for the meeting with the world champion Springboks.
Whitelock will return to the All Blacks squad for their tour of the northern hemisphere, which begins on Oct. 23 when they face the United States.