Argentina posts its first home win over New Zealand to create a tight Rugby Championship

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — The Pumas broke out of a 13-13 halftime deadlock to score 16 second half points and to beat the All Blacks 29-23 in the second Rugby Championship test Saturday, for its first win over New Zealand in Argentina.

Santiago Carreras kicked three second penalties, including a long-range effort which gave Argentina a nine-point margin with seven minutes to play. Scrumhalf Gonzalo Garcia scored his first test try in the 59th minute as the Pumas took the match away from New Zealand for an historic home victory.

The All Blacks scored a try through hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho to cut Argentina's lead to six points at 26-20 before Carreras made their lead secure with his third penalty of the match. Damian McKenzie kicked a late goal to allow the All Blacks to claim a bonus point and retain top spot on the Rugby Championship standings after two rounds.

New Zealand won the first test last weekend 41-24 and now all four teams in the Rugby Championship have one win and one loss after South Africa's win over Australia earlier Saturday.

Argentina dominated the All Blacks both in territory and possession, kept the ball in hand for long periods and conclusively won the aerial battle.

The All Blacks' back play was disorganized and their discipline poor. They had three yellow cards, finishing the first half with 13 men and the match with 14.

“First of all we believe that we can win. We've believed that for a few years now,” Argentina captain Julian Montoya said in a television interview. "We came back from a tough loss last game and I think that we kept in the fight and we threw a few punches.

“We took a few punches as well but it's how that you come back from those errors. We're a good team and we do the things we say we're going to do.”

The All Blacks only got on top of the Pumas in a five minute period in the first half when they scored tries through Billy Pollard and Fletcher Newell to lead 13-6. Otherwise they were outplayed and questions must now be raised over coaching and selections.

Argentina scored a first half try through Juan Martin Gonzalez. Center Santiago Chocobares was outstanding for the Pumas for his ball carrying in midfield.

Beauden Barrett at flyhalf had another poor performance and his kicking game was ill-judged. The captain Scott Barrett again was ineffective in his leadership.

For the first 15 minutes, the All Blacks had little usable ball in Argentina territory while the Pumas, camped in the All Blacks half, carried strongly and used accurate recoverable kicks.

In the 20th minute, the All Blacks kicked to touch from a penalty. From the lineout, they first probed the blindside through Tupou Vaa'i and Codie Taylor, then the middle of the field through Ardie Savea and Ethan de Groot.

The ball went wide to Rieko Ioane who was tackled in the corner and replacement scrumhalf Finlay Christie popped the ball up to Proctor who scored his third test try.

In the 25th minute, tighthead prop Newell got up from a scrum and managed to join on the end of a wide attack to take Ardie Savea's pass from scrumhalf and score. The All Blacks led 13-6.

The Pumas came back strongly, backing their scrum which became a launch pad for attacks. In the 30th minute, replacement flyhalf Santiago Carreras cross-kicked to his brother Mateo Carreras on the left wing.

When Mateo Carreras kicked ahead, he was impeded by All Blacks fullback Will Jordan who received a yellow card for what was deemed a cynical action by referee Nic Berry.

Argentina took a scrum from the penalty and center Santiago Chocobares took the ball up strongly. The Pumas forwards wrestled the ball to the line and backrower Gonzalez scored. Juan Cruz Mallia's conversion leveled the scores.

The All Blacks finished the first half under pressure with two players in the sin-bin. Tupou Vaa'i joined Jordan after deliberately knocking the ball down near the goalline.

Winger Bautista Delguy came close to scoring after stepping past All Blacks defenders near halftime but lost the ball in Beauden Barrett's tackle with the line open.

Santiago Carreras kicked two penalties one from 50 meters to put Argentina ahead 19-13, then Garcia scored his first test try.

Taukei'aho overthrew the lineout, directly to his opposite Julian Montoya. The Pumas won a scrum feed in front of the All Blacks' posts, Pablo Matera took the ball to the line and Garcia only needed to pick the ball up and dot down for a 26-13 lead.

The All Blacks had looked rattled but the bench made an impact and Taukei'aho's try from a lineout drive narrowed Argentina's lead to six points.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Argentina's Los Pumas Santiago Carreras kicks a penalty against New Zealand's All Blacks during a rugby championship match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Argentina's Los Pumas Pablo Matera falls during a rugby championship match against New Zealand's All Blacks in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

New Zealand's All Blacks Fletcher Newell scores a try as he is tackled by Argentina's Los Pumas Pablo Matera during a rugby championship match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Argentina's Los Pumas Gonzalo Garcia, left, celebrates after scoring a try against New Zealand's All Blacks during a rugby championship match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Argentina's Los Pumas Pablo Matera is tackled by New Zealand's All Blacks Fletcher Newell during a rugby championship match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The U.S. military conducted a rapid response exercise involving Marines and military aircraft in Venezuela’s capital Saturday, over four months after the ouster of then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, which have characteristics of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane, flew over the recently reopened U.S. Embassy in Caracas. They landed in the parking lot with the downdraft blowing tree branches. Forces then descended from the aircraft.

“Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world,” the embassy said on Instagram.

Venezuela’s government had announced the drill earlier this week. Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the U.S. would conduct the exercise to prepare “in the event of medical emergencies or catastrophic emergencies.”

The drill comes almost two months after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas. The reopening followed the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country after Maduro 's ouster in early January.

Some Caracas residents Saturday gathered near the embassy to watch the aircraft, while a few dozen others gathered elsewhere in the city to protest the exercise. Protesters held a Venezuelan flag with the message “No to the Yankee drill” written over it.

U.S. military aircraft last flew over Caracas on Jan. 3, when elite forces rappelled down from helicopters and captured Maduro and his wife. Both were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. They have pleaded not guilty.

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A soldier looks down from a military aircraft as the U.S. Embassy holds an emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

U.S. Embassy holds emergency and air evacuation drill in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)