.png)
French capital, PARIS After this Rugby World Cup semifinal, the All Blacks had been talking about wanting a "tomorrow" all week. On a rainy night in Paris, New Zealand defeated Argentina 44-6 because they sought a significant final week, which drove this savage annihilation of Argentina.
The 17th minute put an end to any chance of an
Argentinean upset. With their second try and a vice-like hold on the game, the
All Blacks were able to seal the victory. The All Blacks' machine clicked with
ruthless, accustomed efficiency. With their triumph, New Zealand advances to
their fifth World Cup final for men with hardly a break in their stride.
An air of inevitableness pervaded everything.
Argentina's two historic victories over the All Blacks in 2020 and 2022 were
quickly brought crashing back to reality for the fans holding onto the dream
that their team could somehow duplicate their performance and outcome.
A recurrence of 2019, when England eliminated
New Zealand from the World Cup at this point, was strongly avoided by New
Zealand, who were heavy favorites for this semifinal. The men in black wept on
that day, and they wept once more after their historic quarterfinal victory
over Ireland in this same stadium last Saturday. However, they were relived
ones at the prospect of a second chance.
The All Blacks' camp had been talking a lot all
week about lessons learned, but they had also been trying to remove themselves
from a story of redemption and instead focus on opportunities and the future.
In contrast to last time's hollow bronze medal match, they discussed wanted
there to be a reason to be enthusiastic about Monday this time.
And this performance exemplified that way of
thinking. From loosehead to fullback, their handling was flawless, and their
skill set was so polished that they made the technically challenging appear
easy. When Sam Whitelock throws passes with his back of the hand and props,
locks, and back rows engage in sweeping maneuvers with the same comfort and
ease as their outside backs.
Stopping the All Blacks wave must be exceedingly
challenging. Then there's Will Jordan, a merciless finisher who earned a hat
trick, becoming just the third man to do it in a men's semifinal, following in
the footsteps of Adam Ashley-Cooper and Jonah Lomu.
In the first half, the All Blacks scored three
tries, with Jordan scoring first. Each one taught me the value of endurance,
precision, and patience. They sucked in the Argentine defense on their opening
attempt and placed Will Jordan over in the corner with a stunning catch-pass
execution.
Eventually, with Whitelock at the center of both
attempts, it was Jordan who sent Jordie Barrett over as he skittled three
Argentinean players to dot the ball down. For their second, Rieko Ioane broke
through the unorganized Pumas' defense. When Shannon Frizell got a clear run
in, the third goal—effectively the one that ended the game—was a more patient
play, a lesson in drawing defenders in and creating space outside.
The Pumas had fought bravely up to this point,
as they always do, but there had been no miracle of Marseilles as they had
pulled off against Wales the previous weekend. They failed to locate the
solutions this time.
The first half of the match saw Argentina's
coach, Michael Cheika, appear agitated, possibly due to several calls made by
referee Angus Gardner that were unfavorable to his team. At halftime, he was
seen patrolling the touchline. But when he observed Frizell putting the ball
down, he decided that was sufficient and started walking down the tunnel.
There was no Argentina comeback during the
halftime 15-minute stretch, which can do wonders for teams. In the 42nd minute,
with many spectators still making their way back to their seats, Aaron Smith
kept his foot on Argentina's throat and sprinted over. After that, there were
brief flashes of the Argentina side, which so many people love and cherish, but
today was all about New Zealand when Frizell added another.
The Mexican Wave began around the 50-minute
mark, with boos signaling the conclusion of the cascade. However, the 77653
spectators in the stadium were feeling discouraged at the time, as evidenced by
the mood. The All Blacks fans loved seeing the routine scene of their team
checking off each need on the way to another World Cup final as Argentina's
fans intermittently erupted into song. There was a superb performance of Les
Marseilles early on.
The All Blacks would still have time for two
more tries despite emptying their bench; Jordan would score both, with his
third try being particularly impressive (and earning Scott Barrett a yellow
card for an intentional knock-on). The All Blacks would now need to manage
their load while experimenting with fresh lineups,while delivering a thorough
performance from the first to the last minute.
It was game over for head coach Ian Foster.
Prior to the World Cup, they fell to South Africa in a record-setting defeat
and lost to France in their opening match.
Think again if you thought they had already
played their World Cup final after their historic victory against Ireland. This
was the most professional performance you'll see in a semifinal, and New
Zealand will be confident that they can win their fourth men's World Cup the
following weekend.