All Blacks unleash ‘the beast’ in win against Argentina but Vaea Fifita still has work to do

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had put the rugby world on notice about Vaea Fifita ahead of Saturday’s 39-22 Rugby Championship win over Argentina but despite a man-of-the-match performance said he still expected more from the flanker.

“We said he’s a good athlete and we saw that,” said Hansen, who beforehand had declared Fifita the most gifted natural athlete he had coached. “I don’t think that he’s the finished product. There’s a long way to go before that.

“But there’s a tank with plenty in it and it’s our job to bring that out and his job to work on his game and get better and reach his potential.”

Before the game at Taranaki Regional Stadium, Hansen had labelled Fifita a “beast” and suggested he could put “the fear of god” into Argentina in his first start for New Zealand.

He compared his physicality to that of noted former All Blacks hardmen Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe and Rodney So’oialo and said he was impressed most of all with Fifita’s pace.