Jackie Tarrant bagged a brace of tries as the All Blacks signalled their intent for this year's Classic with a five-try mauling of Argentina last night.

The Kiwis looked in ominous form with their backs running Argentina's defence ragged with several different lines of attack, and a defence that was as tough as they come.

In recent years the team that has won the tournament a record seven times has seemed less threatening, but yesterday they were back to their best, brushing aside an Argentinian team whose traditional indiscipline once again cost them dear.

Tarrant started the scoring after just seven minutes, rounding off a fine set move from the back of a scrum after Argentina were penalised for infringing at the break down.

It set the pattern for the first half, with the All Blacks attacking incessantly, and the Argentinians being constantly penalised for a variety of offences in, and around, the breakdown.

Having scored the first, Tarrant's line break set up the second, cutting through the Pumas defence, he slipped a pass to Keith Lowen who speed towards the line.

Although Lowen was hauled down just short by desperate Argentina defence, the respite was only fleeting as the Pumas undid all their good work by killing the ball as the All Blacks tried to recycle it on the line and forcing referee Hugh Lewis to award a penalty try.

Charles Hore's first conversion of the night gave the All Blacks a 12-0 lead and they never looked back.

While Argentina struggled to deal with the pace of the Kiwis' backline, Hore, and centres Lowen and Pita Alatine tore forwards at will.

Alatini rounded off a fine move involving the trio for his side's third try, and despite some solid work by Pumas skipper Pedro Sporleder and Federico Bock the Pumas struggled to impose themselves enough in the forwards to have enough ball to mount any serious attack of their own.

When they did finally get a phase of possession inside the All Blacks' 22 they firstly lost the ball forward after being held up on the line, and then had to watch as the Kiwis broke clear and scored a fourth try through Tarrant that involved a final pass that looked suspiciously forward.

At 24-0 down, the game looked all but over for Argentina, even so they should have scored before half time when winger Esteban Durantez hacked the ball clear at the half way line and then set off on the kind of dribbling run that would have made Lionel Messi proud.

Unfortunately for this group of Argentinians Durantez's finishing was nowhere near as good as his esteemed countryman, and despite outpacing the All Blacks defence, his final touch let him down and the ball went through the in-goal area and dead.

The second half was more of a contest than the first, primarily because the Argentinians seemed to realise that cheap shots, and sometimes downright thuggery, will get you nowhere against the All Blacks.

Before the break lock German Llanes and wing Martin Murgier had been two of Argentina's biggest offenders in this regard, after it they concentrated on playing rugby, and it paid instant dividends.

Murgier scored his side's first try within minutes of the restart, crossing in the corner following a fine break by flanker Julio Brolese, and he added second moments later when Matias Zuchcheri's clever grubber kick wrong-footed the All Blacks defence.

At 24-12 Argentina had a glimmer of hope, but it was quickly snuffed out when flanker Kelvin Middleton was pushed over from an attacking lineout following a mistake at the restart.

Argentina though continued to press and they might have had more success if it wasn't for their constant indiscipline at the ruck.

Pablo Sciarretta was the main culprit, being penalised for every possible offence, including coming in at the side, going off his feet, not rolling away, the list was endless.

Some of it was cynical, most of it was stupid, and none of it helped his team's cause.

Fernando Del Castillo did cross the line a third time at the very end to give the scoreline an air of respectability, but the outcome was never in any real doubt.

The All Blacks will now face South Africa in Thursday's second Classic semi-final.