- England led by a point at the break after tries from Feyi-Waboso and Freeman
- All Blacks wrestled back control of the contest after the break at Eden Park
- Borthwick’s side suffered a 2-0 series defeat to the All Blacks in New Zealand
Agony , again. England’s bid to become record-breakers at Eden Park was scuppered as Mark Telea’s second try averted the threat of a momentous upset.
Just as they had in the first Test seven days earlier, Steve Borthwick’s national team led their vaunted opponents midway through the second half. And in a repeat of the cruel script from the series opener in Dunedin, where it finished 16-15, the All Blacks extinguished English hopes.
The tourists had been desperate to make history by becoming the first visiting team to successfully storm the fortress of Kiwi rugby since France won here way back in 1994. The All Blacks subsequent 48 Tests at Eden Park had yielded 46 wins and just two draws. No challengers had conquered them, but England came mighty close this time.
They were leading 17-13 going into the last quarter after first-half tries by wings Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman, and they had the All Blacks wobbling. Maro Itoje was magnificent again and a host of England players such as Ben Earl and captain Jamie George played themselves almost to a stand-still with heroic commitment, but they were cruelly denied.
After Telea had struck in the 62nd minute to edge Scott Robertson’s team in front again, Damian McKenzie landed two penalties to create a seven-point lead which they clung on to. But they had to battle all the way in the face of fierce resistance. Right at the death, England were pounding away in search of a try and George was held up in the last play of the game.
So near but so far. This result means Borthwick’s team lost the series 2-0, but they could have won both of the Tests. With a young line-up, they were highly competitive; going toe-to-toe with one of the leading nations in world rugby. They will be shattered by this setback but when the dust settles, England can still take heart from how much progress they have made, in the course of a marathon season which started way back in June last year.
They had wanted to ignite an epic sporting weekend with victory on the far side of the world. Now, George and Co will look forward to watching their football counterparts play in the Euros final tomorrow, as they start their long journey home and prepare for a well-earned rest.
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It was frantic from the off, and Steward endured a difficult start, in his first match appearance for eight weeks. The Leicester full-back was ambushed when he tried to ran back a kick in his 22 in the second minute, but the All Blacks left the ball behind them when they drove over him and Earl was able to break up-field.
There were alarm bells ringing for the visitors again in the fifth minute when Stephen Perofeta cut loose from deep in his own half, Damian McKenzie chipped ahead and the New Zealand No 10 was able to regather and release Jordie Barrett. He in turn sent Codie Taylor hurtling clear but the hooker was chased down and well tackled by Freeman as he bore down on England’s 22.
The All Blacks certainly had the early ascendancy and it was no surprise when they went ahead with a try in the 11th minute. Having been awarded an attacking free-kick, the hosts pounded at the heart of the English defence and Ardie Savea was able to blast powerfully towards the line. The ball was sent left and when Itoje was wiped out at a wide ruck, Mark Telea had the space to twist over in the corner, despite a committed cover tackle by Feyi-Waboso.
McKenzie converted well from the angle and there was an ominous sense that the All Blacks were in the groove and primed to run amok. But instead, England hit back almost at once.
Freeman carried hard into a tackle by Perofeta and when the ball came back to Smith, his cross-kick picked out Feyi-Waboso in space. The Exeter wing swerved past Telea, through a gap and away to finish with a flourish. Smith converted and it was all square.
Back came New Zealand, as the pendulum swung again. A Smith kick to the right created a glaring overlap which the home side exploited as Telea and Perofeta combined in a lightning raid down the flank, but Telea’s last pass didn’t reach its target as Smith had chased back to snatch the ball in a dramatic intervention on his own line.
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At the end of the first quarter, a McKenzie penalty made it 10-7 and two minutes before the break, he added another three-point shot to extend his side’s lead to six points. England had plenty of possession and territory but their ambitions were being undermined by a raft of minor handling lapses and erratic decision-making. They were in the game, but unable to sustain pressure.
But there were errors on the other side too and it remained tense. Then, in injury-time at the end of the first half, England struck again. Driving well through midfield, the visitors earned an advantage and made it count superbly. Smith repeated his previous assist, with a high kick to the right wing where, this time, Freeman rose brilliantly to win the ball above his head and touch down. Smith added the extras superbly from the touchline to leave England 14-13 up at half-time.
They picked up where they left off after the interval, by seizing the initiative again. In the 45th minute, England were awarded a penalty on halfway and kicked it deep into touch on the right. From the ensuing lineout, Ollie Lawrence crashed the ball up, but when Jamie George was next to drive into contact, he knocked on.
The All Blacks were able to clear but not for long. From the visitors’ next attacking lineout, another penalty was awarded to them and Smith was on the money again with the shot at goal, to extend the Red Rose advantage to four points. It wasn’t much, but what came with it was the clear sense that New Zealand were rattled.
For a time, the game became even more cagey and untidy, ebbing and flowing without any clear scoring opportunities being created. But with 18 minutes to go, the All Blacks broke the deadlock in fine style. McKenzie sent replacement full-back Beauden Barrett hurtling clear and his pass released Telea to score again, in the left corner.
McKenzie missed the conversion but added a penalty in the 69th minute and another in the 75th as weary England’s resistance appeared to fade at last. They summoned up the will to rage against the dying of the light, but it wasn’t to be, not quite.