The All Blacks' dominance was evident, with Will Jordan achieving a historic hat-trick and Shannon Frizell scoring twice, contributing to the overwhelming victory. On the other hand, the Pumas, plagued by numerous mistakes, continued to wait for their first-ever World Cup final appearance.
Argentina made a promising start, with Emiliano Boffelli successfully converting his first penalty just five minutes into the game. However, the South American team struggled to break through the All Blacks' well-organized defense. New Zealand patiently waited for their opportunity, capitalizing on turnovers and swiftly transitioning from defense to offense. It took just 11 minutes for Ian Foster's team to score their first try, moving the ball from left to right in a flash after a maul, leaving Will Jordan with an easy dive over the try line.
The Pumas found it challenging to thwart New Zealand's precise and relentless passing plays. In the 17th minute, one such sequence led to Jordie Barrett being tackled by Mateo Carreras on the right side, but he managed to score regardless.
Emiliano Boffelli reduced the point gap with another successful penalty kick in the 35th minute. However, Argentina's frequent conceding of penalties and a porous defense led to New Zealand scoring their third try just before halftime. Mark Telea's powerful run through the center set up Ardie Savea, who passed to Shannon Frizell on the left. Frizell patiently waited behind the try-line before touching down.
The beginning of the second half saw New Zealand surge further ahead, with Aaron Smith scoring in the 42nd minute after a dominant scrum. Frizell added to his tally with a second try only seven minutes later, as New Zealand relentlessly pressed the beleaguered Argentina backline.
Will Jordan secured his second try in the 62nd minute, making it a double for him and joining an elite group of players with eight tries in a single World Cup – a record held by Jonah Lomu, Bryan Habana, and Julian Savea. Jordan was poised for a ninth try later on, but a misjudgment by Mo'unga led to a missed opportunity.
In the 66th minute, New Zealand faced a minor setback when Scott Barrett was sin-binned for an ill-advised action. Nonetheless, their excellence in line-outs came to the fore seven minutes later when Jordan completed his semi-final hat trick with a brilliant chip-and-chase move.
Despite Argentina's late efforts to secure a consolation try, they were unable to break through New Zealand's defense. New Zealand now advances to their fourth Rugby World Cup final and will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and South Africa. Meanwhile, Argentina will compete for the Bronze final against the losing team from the second semi-final.
