The biggest compliment I can pay to England is that they made New Zealand look one-dimensional on Saturday. The All Blacks possess the best attacking armoury in the world and England made them look like they didn’t really know what to do. The first half in particular from England was the best I have seen from them and I cannot remember a match in which New Zealand have been so comprehensively outgunned.
Later that day Harlequins played Bristol and, of course, all the English boys were giving me a bit, as they should, but from a Kiwi perspective it was easier to take because there was no arguing with the result. I had to take it because England had wiped the All Blacks off the park. There was no area in the game where I could reasonably argue that New Zealand had won. England came out on top in the physical battle, they won the gainline, they won the territorial kicking contest and they won the set piece. The decision to pick Scott Barrett backfired because it felt like New Zealand almost had too many options at the lineout and did not know which way to go. England also had the edge at the scrum and were on top at the breakdown – it was comprehensive.
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