New Zealand thrashed Argentina 44-6 in the Rugby World Cup semifinal to book their place in the final in style. The clinical All Blacks gave the Pumas no chance whatsoever, as they eased past their opposition by producing yet another near-perfect performance in the ongoing Rugby World Cup.
It was a bit ironic that the South Americans were the first to get on the board. However, they hardly had any answer to New Zealand's onslaught thereafter.
New Zealand will now face South Africa in the final of the Rugby World Cup.
On that note, let us take a look at two things that stood out in the match
Two things that stood out in New Zealand's win over Argentina in the Rugby World Cup
#2. New Zealand moved the ball rapidly to leave Argentina with no chance:
As expected, New Zealand kept moving the ball really quickly that left the South Americans stunned throughout the match. The All Blacks' line speed gave Argentina no chance, as Richie Mo'unga and Aaron Smith were rapid with their movement.
New Zealand's speedy ball movement gave Argentina's defence hardly any time to organize themselves. The Kiwis attacked through the openside on the right to score a try through Will Jordan.
Jordan scored another try when Mo'unga's footwork helped New Zealand slice through Argentina's defence.
The Pumas, meanwhile, were a bit too predictable in their attacks, as they primarily tried to attack through their right flank only in the first half.
They kicked the ball to touch on a couple of occasions in an attempt to gain territory, but that also did not prove to be very fruitful. They also committed a couple of handling errors that stopped their attacks abruptly.
#1. Argentina kept conceding penalties:
The Argentines needed to be very disciplined in the breakdowns and set-pieces to make a match of it.
However, their ineptness in the breakdowns added to their woes. Shannon Frizell put in a marvelous performance in the breakdowns and also scored a try. The Kiwis kept winning penalties and Jordie Barrett's quality kicking meant that they had no problem winning points.
New Zealand had built up a solid lead by the end of the first half and then capitalized on it to race to a victory.
At this rate, the Kiwis will take some stopping in the final and could be the favourite to win their fourth Rugby World Cup title.