Agustin Creevy proved the late hero as Argentina stunned New Zealand with a 38-30 victory in a Wellington thriller on Saturday.

Hooker Creevy bundled over with just 11 minutes remaining, with his sixth try in 109 Tests paving the way for Santiago Carreras' penalty to seal an eye-catching triumph in their Rugby Championship opener.

Having triumphed two years ago on Kiwi soil, Argentina held out for another significant victory in New Zealand despite missing captain Julian Montoya due to a rib injury.

Sam Darry had earlier opened the scoring for the hosts before Anton Lienert-Brown restored New Zealand's lead after Lucio Cinti powered over for the visiting Pumas.

Mateo Carreras reduced the deficit heading into half-time, with New Zealand leading by five points before the boot of Carreras edged Argentina into a 25-23 advantage after the interval.

Mark Tele'a picked the right moment to dance through the Argentina defence to send the All Blacks back ahead, yet Creevy provided the late heroics before Carreras punished a line-out error to seal a famous victory.

Data Debrief: All Blacks rare failure on home soil

New Zealand had won 16 of their 17 Test matches against Argentina on home soil (L1), recording an average winning margin of 34.8 points across those 16 victories.

Yet that winning run came to an abrupt end as Argentina triumphed for just a second time in seven Rugby Championship matches, adding to a 34-31 victory against Australia in July 2023.

This landmark triumph also marked their first opening win at this competition in 12 attempts, having lost all 11 prior appearances in the Rugby Championship opener.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's struggles in Wellington continued. They have now won only one of their last seven Tests at this venue, with the All Blacks seeking revenge at Eden Park next Saturday.