After 32 long years the All Blacks are back in Mendoza

As it happens all over the world, it is a huge event when the All Blacks are in town. So, when New Zealand and Argentina kick-off a new edition of The Rugby Championship, it will be in a new test venue for the visitors that is bracing for the black wave.

Mendoza is known as the city of wine and sun, Malbec to be more precise, nestled on the foothills of the Andes in the background.

Drive nine hours to the west and after crossing one of the world’s biggest and highest mountain ranges, you will arrive on the same Pacific Ocean that Ian Foster’s side flew over to arrive on Sunday night in Mendoza.

Contrary to previous trips to Argentina, the All Blacks will have less than a week in town, which will make adjusting to jet-lag a bit harder. In a long year, a yawn here and a yawn there might be better than being away for an extra couple of days.

Ready to attack is a Puma side that has only formally got together a few days ago. Their first official training session will be in Mendoza on Monday, where there is a huge buzz for Saturday’s game.

A regular test venue since the start of the Rugby Championship in 2012, it was here where Argentina played their first home game that year against the Springboks. It will be the first time the All Blacks play an international in the country outside of bustling Buenos Aires, but their third visit here after games against Cuyo in 1976 and 1991.

COVID-19 stopped the world in its tracks in 2020 and Argentina had one of the strictest and longest quarantine – house prison kind of… Mendoza missed on having the All Blacks that year. Three years later, it has finally happened.

The hunger to see Los Pumas in the country, let alone Mendoza, is huge. But having the All Blacks takes it to a totally new level.

The Estadio Malvinas Argentinas was built for the 1978 FIFA World Cup and has only had facelifts since. It still holds up and with the 42,500 seats already sold-out, there are a lot of unhappy fans that were hoping that tickets would be easily found.

It is a big rugby city, yet the stadium has never been fully complete for rugby.

“I’ve heard of a lot of rugby people that had been accustomed to getting their hands on tickets through clubs, friends, even the local government, that did not buy when they went to sale and now are desperate,” tells me a Mendoza friend.

“There is certainly a different vibe in the city. Definitely.”

Wallabies and Springboks have been in Mendoza before; but the All Blacks elevate this demand.

Seeing what Los Pumas can bring to the equation is also important for local fans.

With scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou in line for his fiftieth test at home, the very efficient Juan González playing his first test in front of family and friends and the possible test debut for sevens star Rodrigo Isgro, local fans have a lot to cheer for.

Mendoza will always be the land that brought us Federico Méndez, until 2020 the only Argentine to beat the All Blacks. That is a good quiz question. When and with what team?

The land of Malbec also captured now Puma coach Michael Cheika in 2018 ranting and raving in the changing room during the halftime break of a game the Wallabies were losing 31-7. He did get the message through to his team eventually turning around the game for an unforgettable 45-34 win.

He jumped onto the Pumas staff in 2020 and since, Argentina has beaten the All Blacks twice – in Sydney 2020 and Christchurch last year. Last year was his first as head coach and whilst the team had some unforgettable moments – beating Scotland in a three-game series at home, beating the All Blacks in their own den and a second-ever win at Twickenham – it kind of derailed in the last two games in November against Wales and Scotland.

This being a World Cup year, only a tad over two months away, the goal is in France and these early games, five – All Blacks, Wallabies, two against the Springboks and a final run-out with Spain – are all stepping-stones towards the first game in Marseille, September 9.

It is game-by-game. Winning is important, but as Cheika has said, it is about what you take away from each game, each training session. Basically, give the short time, every moment together as a squad.

Mendoza will give a clear idea of where this year is heading to.

Fitness could be an issue. It is unclear who is match fit and these next few weeks will give clear indicators of who are the thirty-three that will make it to Rugby World Cup. More clues will be available when the match squad is announced on Thursday.

As ridiculous as it sounds, the All Blacks are a stepping-stone. As Los Pumas are to them.

We will all be the wiser after the first round of another exciting Rugby Championship

By the way, if you were still wondering, Méndez played for the World XV in the first Centenary test in 1992.