England 22–24 New Zealand: Another triumph eluded Borthwick’s team as George Ford wasted two opportunities to lead the hosts to victory. The All Blacks test celebrate Mark Tele’a’s try against England at Twickenham.
Although the current crop may not be the legendary All Blacks of the past, New Zealand’s never-say-die mentality is undeniable, as England can attest. At the 60-minute mark, Scott Robertson’s team was dead and buried for the third time this year, only to reappear like Halloween ghosts and scare the hosts once more.
The All Blacks test defeated England on their home pitch and recorded a three-win sweep against Steve Borthwick’s team this year, despite having to overcome repeated bouts of self-inflicted hardship.
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All Blacks test at Twickenham England in dramatic final
With their most cherished victory of the year, the All Blacks miraculously recovered from extremely tense nerves in a typically dramatic, gripping match at Twickenham.
The final play decided the outcome, as Scott Robertson’s team pulled off another escape with a 24-22 victory. The All Blacks should have had England on the rack after scoring three tries to one.
The All Blacks defeated England on their home pitch and recorded a three-win sweep against Steve Borthwick’s team this year, despite having to overcome repeated bouts of self-inflicted hardship.
All Blacks test at England halftime result
The All Blacks had a 14–12 lead at halftime, but this close match quickly changed course after the interval when Marcus Smith intercepted a pass from Cortex Ratima, ran away, and set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to give England the lead.
Another pivotal moment occurred when Beauden Barrett’s try was washed out due to Caleb Clarke’s deliberate knockdown, which resulted in a huge 10-point momentum swing. Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Pasilio Tosi led the charge off the bench in two scrum penalties, which enabled the All Blacks turn the tide.
England had an opportunity to win after Anton Lienert-Brown was sent off in the 78th minute for yet another foul off the ball, but George Ford missed the post with the penalty kick. Ten metres from the line, Patrick Tuipulotu spilt the ball to give England a scrum as tension reached fever pitch and Robertson was standing in the coaching box.
Ford missed England’s chance for retribution by pushing his dropped goal attempt wide as All Blacks test defenders rushed through. England’s choice to replace Smith will be closely examined because of Ford’s kicking fluff.
The All Blacks were unhappy throughout, dropping the ball in contact and making forced passes. It was nearly fatal due to many mistakes.
