By Jerome Pugmire
New Zealand bulldozed through Argentina 44-6 on Friday (Saturday AEDT) to reach the Rugby World Cup final for a record fifth time.
The All Blacks will bid for a record fourth title against defending champion South Africa or England, who play their semi-final on Saturday (Sunday, 6am, AEDT).
Going into the semi-final, there was a question mark about whether the All Blacks could back up physically and mentally from their Herculean effort in toppling Ireland last weekend. It didn’t take long to show they were as up for the semi-final in which they started as the firm favourite as they were for the quarter-final in which they were the heavy underdogs.
“I am incredibly proud of the way we backed it up tonight,” New Zealand coach Ian Foster said. “It is really satisfying, but now all the pressure of the final comes.”
The All Blacks outclassed Argentina with power and pace. However, their defence might have been the most impressive aspect again, as it was in containing Ireland last weekend. They finished with 195 tackles, but made 121 of them in the first half when they missed only 10. That exhausted the Pumas, who threw everything at the All Blacks but were virtually out of the contest by half-time, trailing 20-6.
The All Blacks celebrate Aaron Smith’s try in their dominant win over Argentina.Credit: AP
“Our forwards did an outstanding job – set-piece, maul time, earned a few penalties, got a bit of dominance, and it kept a lot of pressure on the Argentinians,” All Blacks captain Sam Cane said. “We knew they’re a team that will fight for everything and they wouldn’t go away. So that ability to keep piling on points was pleasing.”
As the game opened up more in the second half, the All Blacks showed off their ruthlessness by building attacks and battering the Pumas to the point of fatigue. They led 39-6 going into the final 20 minutes, when Jordan completed his hat-trick.
Jordan could have had a fourth try in the match but Richie Mo’unga ignored the overlap and chose to go on his own. No matter, Jordan has a tournament-leading eight tries, matching the record set by Jonah Lomu in 1995, Bryan Habana in 2007 and Julian Savea in 2015. And Jordan has one more match to go.
The most lopsided semi-final result since 1987 when eventual champions New Zealand beat Wales 49-6 started with an early penalty for Argentina’s Emiliano Boffelli after they wasted 14 phases in the first two minutes.
Will Jordan crosses for his third try as the All Blacks secure a place in their fifth World Cup final.Credit: Getty
New Zealand scored their first try after 11 minutes when Mo’unga’s double cut-out pass allowed Jordan to stroll over.
Minutes later, the Pumas were going nowhere after 10 phases when wing Mark Tele’a stripped Pumas half Gonzalo Bertranou. Rieko Ioane and Mo’unga counter-attacked and Jordie Barrett ended up rolling across the tryline.
The Pumas hit back with a 12-phase move that netted Boffelli’s second penalty, but Mo’unga’s penalty made it 15-6 and flanker Shannon Frizell walked over for the third try on the stroke of half-time.
Two minutes into the second half, another powerful All Blacks scrum allowed Smith to dummy opposite Bertranou, step inside winger Mateo Carreras and score their fourth try.
It was a bleak night for Argentina’s Australian coach Michael Cheika.Credit: Getty
Another 18 phases by the All Blacks, including a Mo’unga break, finished with Frizell burrowing over for their fifth try.
The All Blacks then strung another 11 phases, at the end of which Tele’a dragged in four defenders and Jordan had another walk-in try, his second.
Argentine captain Julian Montoya paid tribute to New Zealand’s ruthless efficiency.
“The scrums were completely dominant on us,” he said. “Every opportunity they have they score. Awesome team.”
The only negative on an otherwise dominant night for New Zealand was Scott Barrett’s yellow card with 15 minutes left for a cynical ruck foul and, yet, their discipline was still impressive. They conceded three penalties in the first half and just seven in the match. Even with Scott Barrett in the sin bin, they expertly worked a lineout move in which Ardie Savea’s inside pass put Jordan in a huge gap on halfway. He collected his own chip ahead for his hat-trick.
New Zealand come back to the 80,000-capacity Stade de France next Saturday for one last game, having opened the tournament there with a 27-13 loss to host France that led to some observers writing off the All Blacks.
They will take some stopping now.
“We are in a good spot, in the final, exactly where we wanted to be,” Cane said.
AP
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