FRANCE, PARIS — The All Blacks had been hoping for a “tomorrow” since the Rugby World Cup semifinal was announced. New Zealand beat Argentina 44-6 on a stormy night in Paris because the All Blacks intended to set up a decisive final week.
By the 17th minute, it was clear that Argentina wasn’t going to pull off the upset. The All Blacks had a stranglehold on the game after scoring their second try, their machine functioning with the same predictable ruthlessness. With this victory, New Zealand advances to their fifth men’s Rugby World Cup final.
Everything felt like it was going to happen eventually. Argentine supporters’ illusions that their team may replicate its historic victory in 2020 and 2022 against the All Blacks were quickly shattered.
Heavily favoured to advance to the final, New Zealand had pledged all week to avoid a repeat of 2019 when England eliminated them from the Rugby World Cup in the quarterfinals. Both that day and last Saturday, after the Blacks’ historic quarterfinal victory over Ireland in this very stadium, there were tears shed by the team. However, they were tears of joy at being given a second chance.
All week long, the All Blacks’ camp had talked about the lessons they’d learned while also trying to remove themselves from a redemption story. Instead of a meaningless bronze medal match on Monday, they discussed making it so that people actually look forward to it.
That attitude was perfectly reflected in this performance. They were technically proficient across the board, from loosehead to fullback, and made complex manoeuvres look routine. Stopping the All Blacks must be a herculean task, what with Sam Whitelock’s back-of-the-hand pass-throwing and the props, locks, and back-rows getting in on sweeping plays with the same ease and comfort as their outside backs.
Add to that the fact that Will Jordan, a merciless finisher, scored a hat trick to become only the third man in history (after Jonah Lomu and Adam Ashley-Cooper) to do so in a men’s semifinal.
Jordan kicked off the All Blacks’ first-half scoring with a try. They all taught me to be patient, sure, and persistent. Their first try was set up by a stunning catch-pass that drew in the Argentine defence and sent Will Jordan over for the try in the corner.
For their second, Rieko Ioane broke through the disorganised Pumas’ defence, and then Jordan put Jordie Barrett over as he skittled three Argentinean players to dot the ball down. Whitelock was instrumental in both tries. The third, which essentially ended the game as a contest, was the result of patient play, with the ball being worked around the perimeter until Shannon Frizell got a clean shot.
The Pumas had fought courageously up to this point, as they always do, but they had been unable to pull off a miracle in Marseilles like they did against Wales last weekend. The team looked everywhere, but this time came up empty. Argentina’s Michael Cheika patrolled the sidelines during halftime, showing signs of annoyance at calls made against his team by referee Angus Gardner. But as he saw Frizell put the ball in the hole, he took off down the tunnel.
Halftime, which typically provides teams with a spark, lasted only 15 minutes, but Argentina failed to recover. In the 42nd minute, with many fans still making their way back to their seats, Aaron Smith kept his foot on Argentina’s throat and darted across for a try. Frizell scored again for New Zealand, and there were hints of the Argentina that so many people love and admire in the background.
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At the 50-minute mark, the Mexican Wave erupted, and while the 77653 in attendance applauded its conclusion, their overall mood was gloomy. Argentina’s fans occasionally broke out into song, with one particularly impressive rendition of Les Marseilles occurring early on, while New Zealand’s faithful took comfort in the sight of their team checking all the necessary boxes en route to yet another Rugby World Cup final.
It became a matter of load management and testing new combinations for the All Blacks, while still maintaining a comprehensive performance from the first minute to the last. Despite using all of their substitutes, the All Blacks scored two more tries, both of which were scored by Jordan. Jordan’s third try was a magnificent effort (and resulted in a Scott Barrett yellow card for a deliberate knock-on).
The All Blacks had lost six of their previous eight games a little over a year ago. The future of Head Coach Ian Foster remained uncertain. They started off the tournament with a loss to France and a record loss to South Africa this Rugby World Cup .
Rugby World Cup winners
When discussing prospective Rugby World Cup winners, they were not being considered in the same sentence as France or Ireland. The beauty (or harshness) of this team is that they can perform at their best when it matters most. Forget about how you performed in the lead-up to the event; what matters is how you perform under intense pressure.
If you thought their historic victory over Ireland meant they had already won the Rugby World Cup, you were wrong. With such a clinical performance in the semis, New Zealand had to feel good about their chances of winning their fourth men’s Rugby World Cup next weekend. It was never in doubt that the All Blacks would have a “tomorrow” and a final to prepare for after their crushing victory in Rugby World Cup.
