Courtney Lawes took a gamble and lost when he charged down TJ Perenara’s kick against the All Blacks. The referee was correctSam Underhill may be one of England’s youngest, least experienced players but he reacted to one of the biggest disappointments of his senior career with a mature detachment. “If the referee says the grass is pink, then the grass is pink,” he said when asked about his disallowed try five minutes from time against New Zealand when Courtney Lawes was ruled to have been offside when he charged down a kick. Related: Japan captain Leitch says his side will not bow down at Twickenham Related: Rugby union: talking points from the second round of autumn Tests Continue reading...
England take heart from All Blacks defeat, Springboks’ power will test Scotland’s growing optimism and Italy prove a point In 2012 England also went 15-0 up on New Zealand at Twickenham and went on to win 38-21. This time they could not score a point after the 25th minute, instead allowing the All Blacks to snatch a 16-15 victory in a classic encounter of its type. Which team, though, is on the steeper upward curve? If the heavy rain was a leveller, there was no disguising the fact England, after a tough year, are on the way back. They now know they can ruffle the All Blacks, even with a patched-up pack, and South Africa’s two shuddering recent games against...
The precision of Eddie Jones’s side put New Zealand on the back foot, making them look defensively vulnerable and reliant on individual creativityNew Zealand are not a very good wet‑weather team so grinding out this victory, having got themselves in a hole against a spirited England side, will do wonders for their confidence. But there will also be a wariness about the All Blacks because England were tactically superior on the day and it can clearly be said that, with less than a year to go until the World Cup, their rivals are closing the gap.Ireland will be a huge test on Saturday, at the end of a long season for New Zealand, and England have showed that the All...
It felt like this match was coming 12 months too late but after a brave display it is like England’s coach is starting afreshThe rain came 30 minutes before kick‑off but the storm broke only when the match started, the first collision the opening crack of thunder. It blew for two hours until, in the very end, England lost a brilliantly entertaining, brutally competitive game, 16-15. They had pushed the best team in the world right to the brink. Back in 2016, Eddie Jones promised that “everything we are doing now is about coming up with a game to beat New Zealand, to make them uncomfortable. You can and hopefully will see that by 2018.” Two years later, England were...
Brodie Retallick produced a colossal display as New Zealand ate into England’s early lead to win 16-15 at TwickenhamThey came to see Beaudy’s black magic – they left in awe of Brodie’s mastery of the dark arts. This will inevitably be remembered as the one New Zealand got away with but it would be an injustice to Brodie Retallick’s towering performance to say the TMO was the most influential figure at Twickenham.For Retallick was a colossus for the All Blacks. They call him the Guzzler for his relentless appetite for work and he had his fill, inspiring New Zealand’s comeback from 15-0 down. He stole three lineouts, denying England the chance to capitalise on their second-half chances – Jamie George...