England valiant in defeat as All Blacks edge past hosts at the Allianz
Utterly speechless.
A notably revitalised England fell ever so short to the All Blacks, losing 22-24 in a thriller at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Like many expected, a star-studded All Blacks outfit were fast out the gates against this young England side, but despite the loss, the hosts fought valiantly from the offset, with standout performances from the versatile Chandler Cunningham-South and his back row accomplice Ben Earl.
However, it was the visitors who left Twickenham with the last laugh, victorious in an end-to-end West-London encounter which kick-started their Northern Hemisphere holiday in the perfect manner.
In a week full of online mishaps surrounding the ever controversial Joe Marler and his interesting take on pre-game rituals, this Haka did not disappoint, with progressive movement from both sides ensuring a tension rung deep around the “Allianz”.
Two early Marcus Smith penalties gave England a strong foundation to build from, before New Zealand struck back with a well-crafted seven, after a sumptuous Wallace Satiti offload allowed Mark Tele’a to walk in at the corner.
The All Blacks kept this fire burning, as a pair of tricky scissor moves allowed Will Jordan to cut a piercing line past a flurry of sluggish England forwards, before the Crusader bagged a routine 36th Try in 38 tests against the run of play.
A resilient England didn’t let these scores hold them back though, as a forward-minded gameplan meant an under pressure New Zealand gave away penalties in key areas, allowing Smith to kick the hosts within two points going into the break.
A combination of ferocious hits and feisty up-and-unders set up the second period in perfect fashion, promising a tasty encounter right until the final whistle… and boy did we get spoilt.
Fireworks at HQ as just five minutes after the break, Smith picked an impressively timed intercept before running 70 metres to find George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who finished off England’s first try of the encounter to an immaculate Twickenham roar.
The hosts retained this relentlessness long into tie, as Caleb Clarke’s deliberate knock-on prevented an almost certain England 5-pointer, which was capitalised on by the immaculate boot of Marcus the magician at the hour mark.
Yet, despite missing out on the 10 jersey, Damian McKenzie took over from talisman Beauden Barrett and inflicted a real swagger on an already structured offence, creating a perfect blend of speed and power that allowed him to add a much needed three points with fifteen minutes to play.
McKenzie went on to add the extras to Tele’a’s second score with a fine nudge from out wide, putting the All Blacks 22-24 in front with just minutes to play.
Cue the drama.
In the 78th minute and appearance 97 for this country, George Ford had the chance to win it… the post had other ideas.
Thankfully, for England, that wasn’t the curtain call, as a New Zealand knock-on left the hosts with a scrum, just 5 metres out… they couldn’t, could they?
With veteran Ford in the pocket, waiting for the perfect opportunity, England’s immense forward pack fought for every inch of ground, desperate to win a penalty as the clock turned red.
The moment came.
It just wasn’t meant to be.
A wayward Ford drop goal attempt reduced Twickenham’s ambience to nought, as a collection of 80,000 hopeful cries were dismantled into disappointed sighs.
But oh my, what a test match – to think that this England side hadn’t played 80 minutes together since the Summer would be a crazy assumption, as their performance was heartfelt right until Angus Gardener’s final blow of the whistle.
One for the ages, and regardless of the result, one hell of a platform to build from.
