The game ended when exciting young player Roderick Solo was given room down the left flank after the final hooter. He kicked infield, where Brady Rush was placed to chase the ball. He looked to have it covered, but according to the TMO, he lost contact with the ball when attempting to ground it, and a no-try was ruled.
However, the consolation for the All Blacks Sevens on a weekend of upsets was that they moved to a two-point lead on the championship ladder with 63 points, two ahead of the USA, four ahead of Argentina and six ahead of previous co-leader South Africa while Samoa is two points further back.
The New Zealanders had their chances but made mistakes at crucial moments, conceding penalties that allowed Argentina to get a head of steam with the ball in hand. However, when they scored, it was within reasonable proximity to the goalposts, and by converting both their tries, they edged New Zealand.
New Zealand lost Joe Webber to the sin-bin two minutes into the game when lucky to escape with only a yellow card. But even his absence could not deny them as Solo made a startling break from the goal-line to beat four players before giving Akuila Rokolisoa a chance to score the first try. He, too, had to beat a tackler to achieve it.
Then Solo ended the first half on the end of a move to give New Zealand a 12-0 lead.
However, penalties conceded allowed Argentina into All Blacks territory, and Santiago Alvarez and Marcos Moneta crossed in the ninth and 12th minutes, and the New Zealanders could not reply.
France could not contain New Zealand in their semifinal going down 0-36 and being reduced to five men for all but a few seconds at the end of the game.
New Zealand scored first when taking the kick-off and seeing Leroy Carter score between the posts after only 15 seconds.
More outstanding defence rocked France with a tackle by Sione Molia, forcing a knock-on, and Webber set up Regan Ware to cross for the second try. Rokolisoa then unleashed some side-stepping skills to set up a chance for Carter to tidy and claim a second try.
Leading 21-0 at the turn, New Zealand scored first in the second half when Webber fed Rokolisoa, running at speed, into a gap on the blindside to score a superb try.
As New Zealand eased into the last few minutes, Roderick Solo kicked into the in-goal area, and it was left to Rokolisoa to complete the effort with the final try.
Ireland provided a tough quarterfinal for the All Blacks Sevens, the game being decided with Brady Rush's last-minute try.
Aaron Sullivan opened the scoring a minute into the game when he beat Akuila Rokolisoa to run away to score. Then in a test of New Zealand's defensive lines, the All Blacks Sevens held Ireland out until Sam Dickson responded for New Zealand in the fourth minute.
A yellow card for Dylan Collier threatened calamity for the home team, but Dickson managed a ruck turnover to deny Ireland a prospective scoring chance. That was developed further when Ireland conceded a penalty allowing New Zealand into opposition territory and providing Rush with the opportunity to score in the 14th minute to achieve the win.
Fiji lost 10-19 to Argentina, South Africa lost to France 17-22, and Australia went down to the USA 14-28 in the other quarterfinals.
In the women's side of the draw, the Black Ferns Sevens took out the title with a 33-7 win over USA in the final.