18:30 – Angus Gardner on whistle
For this first semi-final of world CupAustralian Angus Gardner will be the central referee of the match.
17:30 – Marcos Kremer, the Pumas’ asset
A good performance from the Pumas against the Blacks will undoubtedly require a good performance from Marcos Kremer. Holder in the five matches played by the Pumas in the competition, was omnipresent in Argentina’s progress. He is credited with 55 tackles (Argentinian group record) and made five offensive tackles.
4:30 p.m. – “Frankly, in their place, I would spend the match over and over again” says Israel Dagg
The Pumas will take everything there is to take in this match. When they did that tour to New Zealand, they had seen what Ireland had managed to do. And they came to beat us at home. They were very good in touch, they put us under pressure in the mauls. Their defense was remarkable. They managed to suffocate us, they made us stand up, they held us, it was a constant struggle and it prevented us from managing the ball the way we wanted. They frustrated the All Blacks. Frankly, in their place, I would spend the match in a loop” explained the Blacks player about the Pumas victory in 2022 25-18.
15:30 – Foster impressed by Argentina
Despite a complicated start to the World Cup, Argentina received praise from New Zealand coach Ian Foster. “I was impressed with Argentina and the way they ran their campaign. They went for a big win against Wales, where they showed all their tenacity.”
2:30 p.m. – “Everyone except us sees the Blacks in the final”
Former Pumas legend and now assistant coach, Felipe Contepomi believes in his men. “Everyone, except us, sees the All Blacks in the final. But for us that doesn’t matter. We know that New Zealand is a very big team, that they play very well, and that they are favorites to this semi-final, but for us it is an opportunity […] The only thing we want is to give everything, to seize the opportunity, to play our best rugby and then we will see the result. It doesn’t worry me.”
1:30 p.m. – “Relying on experience” for Anton Lienert-Brown
“I think we learned a lot from our experience in 2019 (7-19 loss to England in the semi-finals). It’s clear we have exceptional leaders in the team and almost all of them were there. I know that kind of defeat motivates some of them. I think in the World Cup, experience is everything. Four years have passed but you can still look back on this week and think about what you learned from it. We have to make sure that this doesn’t happen again and that this week is the good one,” explained the Blacks player at a press conference before the semi-final.
12:30 – Two victories for the Pumas against the Blacks
If some think that the match is unbalanced, it should be remembered that the Argentinians won twice against the Backs, in 2020 and more recently in 2022. On November 14, 2020 in Sydney, Mario Ledesma’s men even outclassed the Blacks (25-15), breaking a cycle of more than 35 years of defeats.
11:30 – Michael Cheika: “A winning mentality”
“I don’t think it takes a lot of motivation. I think it’s more about telling a story about why we have a chance, why we can be here and building our confidence in ourselves. It’s something something we have worked a lot on, trying to get the players to have a winning mentality and to understand what needs to be done to achieve it,” explained the Pumas coach.
10:42 – Hello everyone!
Welcome to follow the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and New Zealand live and in full. Kick-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. at the Stade de France.