New Zealand held on to pick up a 20-16 win over Argentina in their opening Rugby Championship game of 2019 in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Despite not scoring a point in the second stanza, the All Blacks managed to keep their noses in front at full-time as the Pumas were kept at bay.

Ngani Laumape and Brodie Retallick crossed for New Zealand in the first period while Beauden Barrett kicked two conversion and two penalties.

In reply the Pumas’ try scorer was Emiliano Boffelli, who also added a penalty, while Nicolás Sánchez slotted two penalties and a conversion.

New Zealand would have been delighted to head into the break leading 20-9 after an evenly contested first half at Jose Amalfitani Stadium.

They were six points down with as many minutes on the clock after Sánchez and Boffelli landed a penalty goal each after All Black offences.

However, there was a drastic change in momentum on 16 minutes after fly-half Barrett’s chip ahead put Argentina in all kinds of bother. Penalty offences would then go against the hosts before a quickly taken tap by Aaron Smith led to Laumape crashing over under the uprights.

Sánchez did manage to nudge the hosts back in front at 9-7 on 21 minutes, but Barrett responded soon after as the lead changed hands again.

At this point New Zealand were still on top and closed out the first half strongly, with Barrett’s second penalty then followed up by Retallick’s crossing on the stroke of half-time. The lock galloped over untouched from 40 metres out after gleefully collecting a stray Sánchez pass.

The first 20 minutes after the interval was all Argentina, however, as Sanchez’s high kick under a penalty advantage saw Boffelli collect and go over. That proved the confidence booster the Pumas needed and they were unlucky not to have cut the lead further after a missed penalty.

At 20-16 down the Pumas knew they could not let the All Blacks regroup and needed to keep the pressure on, as both sides went to the bench.

Argentina did go agonisingly close to scoring on the left wing, but Ramiro Moyano’s foot was in touch before he got his offload back inside. Despite their disappointment one sensed the hosts would have at least one more opportunity in the closing nine minutes to seal a famous win.

That opportunity came with time running into the red but from an attacking line-out five metres out their maul was stifled and the hopes of victory extinguished, with New Zealand holding on to claim four points on the road as they now head home to Wellington to face South Africa.