Some of their physicality was splendid. Sam Underhill in the back row and Ollie Lawrence in midfield hit with almost a cannonade in the tackle, Underhill gave a performance which can be rated almost alongside his display against the All Blacks in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup – and we thought we would never see the like of that again.
England were guided home by the traditionally immaculate George Ford at first five-eighths. Ford was so bursting with footballing ability but also match insight. His two drop goals just before halftime calmed England’s nerves at a time when New Zealand really should have been in front and, inside Ford, the halfback Alex Mitchell had easily his best game for England.
It is true that large parts of rugby have now become a high-kicking contest resembling Australian Rules – and that is somewhere no sport really wants to go. But the immaculate halfbacks were there to do a job, and they did it superbly.
And the All Blacks? Their jerseys were all black but too many of them did not play like All Blacks. They had pedigree attackers in Will Jordan and the regal Quinn Tupaea, but far too many of their forwards were journeymen. Even their captain, Scott Barrett, is only a trier. Colin Meads or Sam Whitelock he is emphatically not.
It is true to say that teams only play as well as the opposition allow. But this was a disappointing New Zealand team and no doubt they will undergo the ritual roasting on their return home, whereas England will go bouncing on in fine fettle.
They made a big play of not starting their best front row, but would bring them on as replacements; they have discussed playing other players out of position. Frankly, some of it smacked of overthinking and overtraining and, for me, neither of their philosophies was a factor. They were just better as a team, more powerful, they had more intensity and they had a pleasing attacking edge.
England ‘looked tactically smarter’ than All Blacks
Gavin Mairs, Daily Telegraph
Glorious redemption for George Ford, glorious redemption for England. The agony of the last-gasp defeat a year ago by the All Blacks has been banished in imperious fashion as Steve Borthwick’s side finally have their statement victory to underscore their progress this year.
Appropriately it was left to Ford to land the coup de grace, landing a penalty in the 76th minute to take England’s lead beyond two scores, before a late try by Tom Roebuck, with New Zealand ragged, sealed the stunning victory, England’s first against the All Blacks at Twickenham since 2012.
A year ago in this fixture, a missed drop goal in the final minute by Ford cost England the chance of sealing a dramatic win, continuing a trend of near misses by Borthwick’s side.
But how Ford made up for that miss, knocking over two perfectly struck drop goals at the end of the first half to bring England back into the game after they had trailed 12-0 following tries by Leicester Fainga’anuku and Codie Taylor.
His game control was immense, peppering the New Zealand back three with spiral bombs and landing a sublime 50:22 kick in the build-up to a try by Fraser Dingwall which put England 25-12 in front before Borthwick had even had the chance to unleash his “Pom squad”.
It was far from the complete performance by England, and they will have been frustrated that they allowed New Zealand a way back into the game when Will Jordan crossed to bring them within a score before Ford’s decisive kick.
But there was so much to admire about this England side. Marcus Smith had a huge impact as a first-half replacement for Freddie Steward. Ollie Lawrence, who crossed for England’s first try, was also superb.
England also looked tactically smarter than the All Blacks. The road to the 2027 World Cup suddenly looks full of promise for Borthwick’s side.
All Blacks ‘do not have the pedigree of some of their predecessors’
Robert Kitson, The Guardian
A perfect 10 wins in a row is a reliable indicator of a team on the rise. What England really craved, though, was a statement victory to underline just how far they have come in the past 18 months or so. And on a dull grey November afternoon they finally secured it, beating a disappointed New Zealand for the first time in south-west London for 13 long years.
They deserved it, too, storming back from 12-0 down to claim the kind of result that rewards all the painstaking hard work of both the players and the management. There were four English tries in all, including two in the final half hour from Fraser Dingwall and Tom Roebuck, as Steve Borthwick’s team become only the ninth England side to cut the All Blacks down to size.
The big result also owed a lot to one of the smaller men on the field. Borthwick predicted this week that George Ford would one day assume the England head coach mantle and the first five-eighths’ stock as a playmaker has rarely been higher. Two inch-perfect drop goals in the first half changed the momentum of the whole contest and, after the interval, his generalship helped to keep his teammates one step ahead of their pursuers.
It all made for a stirring brew. In the car park beforehand even battle-hardened former red rose legends were sniffing the air and pronouncing they just had a feeling about England. This time their instincts were correct as the hosts won the second half by the convincing margin of 22-7. This New Zealand side do not have the pedigree of some of their predecessors but they have still been good enough to see off Ireland and Scotland this month.
And famous wins do not get routinely handed over on rarified occasions like this one. The sense of expectation was scarcely diluted by the sight of England forming a deliberate semi-circle in response to the pre-game haka, echoing the V-shaped formation that preceded their famous 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final win in Yokohama.
England passes ‘true test of their development’
Mike Henson, BBC
After nine straight wins against lesser opposition, England passed the true test of their development with flying colours and four tries amid a delirious atmosphere at Allianz Stadium.
A crowd of 81,953 came expecting the usual nail-biting conclusion of fine margins between the two sides, but instead could revel in England’s dominance as wing Tom Roebuck pounced on a loose ball and slid in for a 78th-minute try that pushed the winning margin out to two converted scores.
After Leicester Fainga’anuku and Codie Taylor crossed inside the first 20 minutes for the visitors, England looked like they might pay for their own inaccuracy in attack.
But they clawed their way back on the scoreboard via two George Ford drop-goals, before Sam Underhill and Fraser Dingwall’s second-half tries, forward dominance and an unusually docile New Zealand attack propelled them to a 25-12 lead.
All Black speedster Will Jordan’s score 15 minutes from time and a Ben Earl yellow card prompted some late home nerves as their lead was cut to six points.
However, England’s high-quality bench knuckled down, earned territory and, after George Ford had slotted a penalty, Roebuck went over to choruses of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”.
England’s win a launch pad for World Cup
Mitch Phillips, Reuters
When England famously beat New Zealand in 2003 with 13 men and won in Australia for the first time it gave the squad an unswerving belief that they could beat anybody, and months later they won the World Cup for the first time.
Now, having beaten New Zealand 33-19 on Saturday after three narrow defeats last year and taking their winning run to 10, there is growing belief that they are equipped to make a serious assault on a second World Cup title back in Australia in 2027.
It was England’s first victory over the All Blacks since the 2019 World Cup semifinal, arguably their greatest-ever performance, and their first at home since Manu Tuilagi ran riot in 2012.
They lost in the 2019 final to South Africa and, against all odds, new coach Borthwick took his team to within minutes of a return before losing by a point to the Springboks in the 2023 semis.
There was then a fair amount of pain, and criticism, as he tried to find ways to win in different styles, while building squad depth.
The project took a considerable step forward on Saturday when he was able to bring six British and Irish Lions off the bench to finish off a match in a situation that last year was routinely getting away from them.
England’s Henry Pollock celebrates after securing a turnover against the All Blacks. Photo / Brad Roberts
‘Ran out of puff and get out of jail cards’
Liam Napier, NZ Herald
London’s autumn night sky cast a dark shade over the complexion of the All Blacks’ season as their Grand Slam hopes came to a shuddering halt at Twickenham.
England broke their five-year drought – and recorded their first home win against the All Blacks since 2012 – with a commanding victory that confirms their improving pedigree.
After late great escapes against Ireland in Chicago and Scotland at Murrayfield where individual brilliance saved the All Blacks, Scott Robertson’s men ran out of puff and get out of jail cards.
This time, their inconsistencies bit hard.
The quest for a first Grand Slam in 15 years was within the All Blacks’ grasp as they compiled a 12-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes but, from then on, they were second best to concede 25 unanswered points and again leave themselves chasing the game.
At Twickenham, of all venues, where the vast majority of the vocal 81,953 crowd are baying for blood, that’s an incredibly difficult task.
By the finish, as the English savoured their 10th straight win, swing low was in full voice.
England’s second-largest win and second-most points against the All Blacks gave the locals every reason to rejoice.
While the All Blacks’ lineout pressured England, they increasingly struggled to apply pressure elsewhere – and eventually lost all shape. Their static attack in particular seemed bereft of ideas.