It's the final hurdle to the Rugby World Cup grand final! The NZ Herald's Chereè Kinnear and Liam Napier unpack selection changes for the All Blacks and what to expect from a semifinals clash against Argentina. Video / NZ Herald / SNTV
New Zealand rugby fans may be looking at the Rugby World Cup semifinal draw with glee and supreme optimism that Ian Foster’s side have one foot innext week’s final.
Before the 2020 season, the Pumas had never beaten the All Blacks, the closest being a 21-21 draw in 1985. All that changed in the 2020 Tri Nations, aka the Covid Rugby Championship, when the Pumas broke their drought with a superb 25-15 win in Sydney. They then backed that up last year with their first win over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil, winning 25-18 in Christchurch.
The past two results since that win have been overwhelming victories to the All Blacks - 53-3 in Hamilton last year and 41-12 in Mendoza in July. Despite the more recent dominance, Foster’s team have learned not to take Argentina - or any side - lightly at a World Cup.
The team that started in the 2022 defeat was very similar to the side that ran out in the quarter-final win against Ireland. There will be no shortage of lingering hurt from that defeat. The All Blacks certainly have respect for Argentina and will be treating the build-up much like they did last week.
The All Blacks’ ethos and arrogance has changed over the years, with every World Cup failure in the years between 1988 and 2010. They became especially humbled following shock defeats to France in 1999 and 2007. Even after winning back-to-back World Cups, the lesson had been learned. Tournament rugby is different. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been dominant over the preceding World Cup cycle, or been the top dog for a decade. Every knockout game is a one-off test where past performance - including the impressive victory last weekend - doesn’t matter.
In a way it helps that this New Zealand side have had mixed results in the black jersey. Facing adversity and defeats over the past four years should work in their favour.
Regardless of who they are playing in the semifinals, getting this far into the tournament is a huge achievement for this All Blacks side. Argentina may have never made a World Cup final, but neither have the majority of the New Zealand players.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw leads the celebrations in 2015. Photo / Brett Phibbs
There are plenty of members in this squad who were part of the 2019 side which fell at this stage to England. The likes of Ardie Savea, Richie Mo’unga, Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Scott Barrett, Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane are veterans, but have never played in a World Cup final. Sam Cane’s only taste of a World Cup final was running on the pitch in the 80th minute in 2015; Beauden Barrett got a 15-minute run in that match. Of the present squad, only Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith and Dane Coles were starters from that 2015 final victory.
A new generation can now write their page of rugby’s proudest history.
Cameron McMillan is Deputy Head of Sport for NZME. He has been a sports journalist for 20 years and was on duty in 2011, when the All Blacks put things right.
