New Zealand 24 England 17
The cold, hard facts state that England lost this Test series 2-0, but Steve Borthwick’s side won something that few of their predecessors have managed in New Zealand: respect. More than that, they will return home on Monday with a newly established reputation as potentially one of the most exciting England sides we have seen in years.
And, yet, for a second Saturday, England faced the uncomfortable truth that victory had slipped through their fingers. It is a mark of the substantial progress England have made since their error-ridden defeat by Scotland in February that they will return home also thinking “what if”.
The contrast between the side who kicked their way to third place at the World Cup and the class of 2024 could not be more stark. As they did in the 16-15 defeat in the first Test, England matched the All Blacks by scoring two tries, two spectacular efforts by their two wings, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman, and from two wonderfully executed cross-kicks by Marcus Smith.
Feyi-Waboso has scored in all three Tests, including the opening game against Japan, and has a return of four from six caps, an explosive impact not created on the Test stage by an England winger since Chris Ashton in 2010. The manner in which the 21-year-old finished after gathering Smith’s kick and his change of direction and acceleration were stunning.
Even in defeat, there was also something of redemption for Smith after his missed kicks in Dunedin. It is fair to say their attacking rugby not only caught the All Blacks by surprise but also the public: the widespread view here was that England should have been easily dispatched.
At the end of a season that began 13 months ago, the players understandably cannot wait to fly home on Monday, but yet there is also a sense that they cannot wait for the chance to take on New Zealand again at Twickenham in November. The team have clearly benefited from the cohesion of minimal changes and greater clarity in their attack and defence. Borthwick believes this is just the beginning.
“The way we played and the team we had at the World Cup was a different team,” Borthwick said. “We had to put that together very, very quickly to try to make us competitive at the World Cup.
“The team has since changed. There are different strengths within it. There are different personnel and we’re on a path of growth now. I think this is a direction we will continue to go in.
“You asked me whether we are ahead [in the development of their attack], but I don’t ever put limits on this team. I want to keep pushing and see how quickly we can improve.
“I know where we are going to aim for, but I don’t want to put any limits on it because I think that would be foolish when these guys are so eager to get better. I want to see how good they can be.”
Yet, for all the vim and vigour of their attacking intent, once again they could not push home their advantage after having established a winning position going into the final quarter.
This time, England led 17-13, and another score would probably have been decisive, but two line-out wobbles allowed the All Blacks to break free, with another brilliant cameo by Beauden Barrett creating the hole for Mark Tele’a to score his second try and two more penalties by Damian McKenzie brought relief to the Eden Park crowd.
If England want to take the next step and return to world rugby’s top four, they will have to become more ruthless, just as Ireland did down here two years ago when they completed a famous 2-1 series victory.
Though there was something inevitable about the All Blacks’ second-half revival – there is a reason their unbeaten run at Eden Park stretches back to 1994 – what is not often seen at their spiritual home in Auckland is the sight of the men in black desperately hanging on at the death.
England were convinced that Beauden Barrett had illegally pulled down their maul as it edged towards the line but, after a TMO review, Ollie Lawrence was penalised for obstruction as Jamie George was held up just short.
One wonders what difference the presence of George Furbank, who was forced to withdraw on Friday because of a back injury, might have made. Freddie Steward is a fine player, one of the best in the air, but looked a little short of match sharpness. You had to feel for George, too. Having been replaced in the 49th minute, he had to return after a minute to play the remainder of the game after Theo Dan suffered a head injury.
“The team is making progress and we are learning very quickly but it shows we have still got a lot to do,” Borthwick added. “We got into winning positions. We are not too far away, but we have got to learn to convert them into wins. I have pride in the players, pride in the team and excitement for what I feel this team is capable of in the future.”
Match details
Scoring sequence: 5-0, Tele’a try, 7-0, McKenzie con; 7-5 Feyi-Waboso try, 7-7, Smith con; 10-7, McKenzie pen; 13-7, McKenzie pen; 13-12, Freeman try, 13-14, Smith con; 13-17; Smith pen; 18-17, Tele’a try, 21-17, McKenzie pen, 24-17 McKenzie pen.
New Zealand: S Perofeta (B Barrett 49); S Reece, R Ioane (A Lienert-Brown 59), J Barrett, M Tele’a; D McKenzie, F Christie (C Ratima 53); E de Groot (O Tu’ungafasi 50), C Taylor (A Aumua 64), T Lomax (F Newell 54); S Barrett (c), P Tuipulotu (T Vaa’i 54); S Finau (L Jacobson 49), D Papali’i, A Savea.
England: F Steward (M Smith 69); I Feyi-Waboso (O Sleightholme 68), H Slade, O Lawrence, T Freeman; M Smith (F Smith 62), A Mitchell; F Baxter (B Rodd 68), J George (T Dan 49, George 49) ), W Stuart (D Cole 49); M Itoje, G Martin; C Cunningham-South (A Coles 62), S Underhill (T Curry 49), B Earl.
Referee: N Berry (Australia).