Argentina v New Zealand: Five takeaways from a Rugby World Cup semi-final that should never have been
Argentina wing Mateo Carreras shakes hands with New Zealand wing Will Jordan.
Following a 44-6 victory for New Zealand over Argentina in their Rugby World Cup semi-final, here’s our five takeaways from a one-sided game in Paris on Friday.
The top line
New Zealand disposed of Argentina in a clinical display of accurate wet weather handling as a Will Jordan hat-trick and a brace from blindside flanker Shannon Frizell took the game way out of reach of Los Pumas, who really failed to covert any of their pride and passion into points.
Given the greasy conditions down at pitch side at the Stade de France, the difference in handling skills between the two sides was quantum; the number of unforced errors that Argentina made killed any form of continuity as their ball retention simply fell apart under the combination of slippery ball and New Zealand pressure.
Jordan was magnificent all night but he might want to thank the officials for his 70 metre sprint to the line as the pass to release him from Ardie Savea went at least a metre forward before settling into the winger’s arms.
Nevertheless, there was simply no comparison between the finishing ability of the two sides and it’s wholly apt that New Zealand move forward to their fifth Rugby World Cup final.
Cruising
New Zealand really didn’t get out of third gear in their performance on Friday. It was all too easy for them to get around the Argentine defence, as their runners committed too many Pumas to clearing and slowing, creating mismatch after mismatch on the outside flanks.
Los Pumas were not assisted by a surprising inconsistency in breakdown interpretation. Tackle and release before jackal seemed to be a lottery in its application with the South Americans getting short shrift for pilfering work that appeared entirely legal to many onlookers, in similar situations that saw the All Blacks rewarded.
But you make your own luck in rugby and the control demonstrated by Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith at half-back with ball in hand showed a gulf of class that Argentina simply couldn’t breach.
The early second-half scores, a brilliant show and go from the peerless Smith, followed by a magnificent dummy and step inside from Mo’unga for Frizell to thump over for his second put the game way beyond the reach of Los Pumas.
Loose trio
Argentina might not have the glittering handling skills and sheer pace of the All Blacks but their back-row is nothing short of heroic and it was their efforts, at times not rewarded as they might have been, that kept Los Pumas somewhere within touching distance for part of the match.
Marcos Kremer has been one of the players of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and his efforts on both sides of the ball were something quite remarkable as his power dented the All Blacks in both defence and attack. With Facundo Isa adding some real nuance and skill from the base and with Juan Martin Gonzalez offering the balance of jackal and nuisance around the breakdown, this breakaway trio, with the mobility of Thomas Gallo and Julian Montoya beside them, has kept this proud South American team moving forward and in doing so have become one of the finest back-rows in the game.
🗣️ "Threw absolutely everything he had at the men in black, hammering into tackles." #ARGvNZL
🇦🇷 Our Argentina player ratings as the All Blacks pummelled Los Pumas. #RWC2023
✍️ @jaredwright17 https://t.co/EuRnitgQAWhttps://t.co/EuRnitgQAW
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 20, 2023
The elephant in the room
With due respect to Argentina, this is a semi-final that should never have been.
To watch this match in comparison with the feast of glorious rugby we saw in both quarter-finals in Paris last weekend showed the complete cock up from World Rugby to make the draw back in late 2020 when many sides had suffered from curtailed schedules due to Covid lockdowns.
A combination of a need to plan early (although this has never really been explained in terms of its impact) and perhaps a need to promote the future of the sport during those dark lockdown days saw a hasty and rushed call by the authorities.
The competition is so much poorer without France’s brilliance carrying the torch of rugby creativity and also without Ireland, who have led the rankings for so long. The tournament has lacked its glitter and its gloss as a result.
When looking to ‘grow the game’ you need the very best product in your shop window and one can certainly question whether or not at least one of these teams is that premium offering.
Looking ahead
The biggest question on everyone’s lips is if South Africa get through tomorrow to next week’s final, do New Zealand have enough to challenge them? To be honest, their performance was so relaxed at the Stade de France it’s hard to assess their chances and, given the Springboks’ obliteration of them at Twickenham in August, they will have to have moved forward a massive step if they’re to win their fourth trophy.
On tonight’s evidence, their set-piece was clearly superior but the breakdown battle – inconsistency of officiating aside – didn’t go all the way of the All Blacks which may be of some concern to the coaching staff.
But in terms of strike efficiency, they have moved forward considerably. The way Mo’unga challenges defences with the ball in two hands to create options either side is classic high IQ rugby. The biggest question is can their forwards create enough momentum for the obvious pace in the backline to do its work?
Argentina return to Paris battered and bruised next week but will throw everything at the same third/fourth place play-off that they competed in on the same ground in 2007. They’ve moved on quantumly since their opening match against England and should they meet the same opposition next Friday then we may very well see a reversal in fortunes.