All Blacks Defeat ‘Tough to Take’ – George
Since the beginning of the 21st century, England has only defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand once. The recent 16-15 loss in Dunedin on Saturday left England with a sense of missed opportunity.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s try gave Steve Borthwick’s team a glimmer of hope, but two second-half penalties from Damian McKenzie crushed their chances of securing a first win in New Zealand since 2003.
Marcus Smith had a mixed performance, showing skill with the ball but missing three out of five goal kicks.
“We’re gutted, of course we are,” said England captain Jamie George to BBC Sport. “Not many teams come here and do that to the All Blacks. It’s a tough result to take. We weren’t at our best, but we showed character in spades. They didn’t know many of our players before, but they do now.”
The challenge for George and his team is what comes next. The final match of their two-game series will be held next Saturday at Eden Park, where the All Blacks have been dominant for 30 years.
“We will focus on the rugby,” George added. “There’s a lot to learn from this game, and we are here to win. Eden Park is tough, but we’ve won big games recently, and this could be a special win for us.”
All Blacks Edge ‘Arm Wrestle’
New All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson breathed a sigh of relief at full-time as his tenure began with a narrow victory.
England’s blitz defense pressured the All Blacks throughout the match. While New Zealand fans are used to seeing their team play with attacking fluidity, England’s line speed limited their space to execute.
This led to a tactical shift in the second half. The hosts kept the ball close and tried to overpower England, who met the challenge head-on. George Martin and Chandler Cunningham-South excelled in the collision, holding new All Blacks captain Scott Barrett at bay. Last year’s World Cup finalists were restricted to just 16 points at home.
“A decent welcome to Test rugby,” Robertson told BBC Sport. “From the second-half kick-off, it became an arm wrestle. I’m relieved rather than ecstatic. I’ll sleep well knowing we got the result but wake up early knowing we have work to do. England is a good team and was a moment away from winning.”
England is playing their best rugby under Borthwick, recently denying Ireland back-to-back Grand Slams.
“You don’t often see New Zealand play a game like that; it was a real arm wrestle,” Borthwick told BBC Sport. “I’m proud of the players. We want to keep improving. Today’s another step, but we’re disappointed with the loss. There were opportunities we missed, but I’m excited for the future of this England team.”
