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Watch: Pablo Matera takes umbrage with Dane Coles after Hamilton thumping

By Sam Smith
Pablo Matera and Dane Coles. (Photo by Getty Images)

After landing on the wrong side of a 53-3 pasting in Hamilton, Pumas loose forward Pablo Matera appeared to let out some of his frustrations on All Blacks hooker Dane Coles during the post-match formalities.

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The All Blacks raced out to a 24-3 lead at halftime off the back of tries to Ethan de Groot, Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane, and things only got worse for Argentina in the second spell as the home team exacted their revenge following last week’s historic defeat in Christchurch.

Coles, who entered the game in the final quarter, wasted no time getting in the faces of the Argentinian forwards, chipping away at the opposition whenever things didn’t go their way.

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One particular instance resulted in some handbags towards the end of the match, when the outcome of the game had already been well and truly determined.

While most frustrations are typically forgotten following the final whistle, Matera’s evidently flowed over into the post-match and came to the fore when the rival sides assembled for the post-game handshakes.

Coles was unsurprisingly in a chipper mood but while Matera was happy to congratulate the rest of the All Blacks, he took umbrage with New Zealand’s replacement hooker.

Matera showed no interest in shaking hands with Coles, instead giving the No 16 a shove in the chest. Coles raised his hands in bemusement before both players continued with the formalities.

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The All Blacks’ win catapults them to the top of the Rugby Championship standings after entering the round in last place. In contrast, the Pumas look set to drop to fourth, having started out the weekend in first place.

The bonus point victory has seen NZ jump to 10 competition points, meaning only Australia (currently on nine) can finish the round ahead of them. The Wallabies, however, went into halftime 12-3 down against the Springboks in Sydney.

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M
Mzilikazi 1 hours ago
Swashbuckling Hurricanes and Harlequins show scrum still matters

I always enjoy a good scrum based article. Thanks, Nick. The Hurricanes are looking more and more the team to beat down here in Australasia. They are a very well balanced team. And though there are far fewer scrums in the game these days, destructive power in that area is a serious weapon, especially an attacking scrum within in the red zone. Aumua looked very good as a young first year player, but then seemed to fade. He sure is back now right in the picture for the AB’s. And I would judge that Taukei’aho is in a bit of a slump currently. Watching him at Suncorp a few weeks ago, I thought he was not as dominant in the game as I would have expected. I am going to raise an issue in that scrum at around the 13 min mark. I see a high level of danger there for the TH lifted off the ground. He is trapped between the opposition LH and his own powerful SR. His neck is being put under potentially dangerous pressure. The LH has, in law , no right to use his superior scrummaging skill….getting his head right in on the breastbone of the TH…..to force him up and off the ground. Had the TH popped out of the scrum, head up and free, there is no danger, that is a clear penalty to the dominant scrum. The law is quite clear on this issue: Law 37 Dangerous play and restricted practices in a scrum. C:Intentionally lifting an opponent off their feet or forcing them upwards out of the scrum. Sanction: Penalty. Few ,if any, referees seem to be aware of this law, and/or the dangers of the situation. Matthew Carly, refereeing Clermont v Munster in 2021, penalised the Munster scrum, when LH Wycherly was lifted very high, and in my view very dangerously, by TH Slimani. Lifting was coached in the late ‘60’s/70’s. Both Lions props, Ray McLouglin, and “Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan, were expert and highly successful at this technique. I have seen a photo, which I can’t find online atm, of MM with a NZ TH(not an AB) on his head, MM standing upright as the scrum disintegrates.

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