Beauden Barrett Inspired Comeback, As NZ Downed England In Auckland
Beauden Barrett Inspired Comeback, As NZ Downed England In Auckland
The New Zealand All Blacks defeated England at Eden Park in Auckland to secure a 2- 0 series win in Scott Robertson's first series as head coach.
Staring down the abyss of a first loss since 1994 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, the All Blacks front up to bring a halt to an impressive English onslaught.
Trailing for the majority of the contest, it would take a moment of magic from veteran replacement Beauden Barrett to nudge Scott Robertson’s side into the lead with 10 minutes to play.
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Once in front, the All Blacks struck quickly, and efficiently, with two penalties from Damian McKenzie to eke out a seven-point lead at 24-17 with just minutes left on the clock.
Finishing the strength of the two sides, the All Blacks resisted one final throw of the dice from England, which mauled its way over the New Zealand line and was held up by none other than Beauden Barrett.
While a second consecutive close loss will sting England, there were plenty of positives for Steve Borthwick’s side to take home.
For the bulk of the contest, England was on top, despite being pulverized at scrum time from the off.
Pulling the strings masterfully, fly-half Marcus Smith had his best game in a white jersey, as he set up both of England’s tries with pinpoint kicks to find Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman in the wide channels.
At line-out time, Maro Itoje was impervious and also had his best outing in a white jersey since the World Cup semifinal against the All Blacks in 2019.
Yet, as they have done on every occasion in the past 48 matches at Eden Park, the All Blacks simply found a way to win.
Striking whenever the opportunity presented itself, winger Mark Telea showed why he is regarded as one of the best finishers in the world in 2024. Topping the carries charts for his side with 12, the Blues star also had two clean line breaks to close out a mightily impressive showing.
Utilizing its clear superiority at scrum time, New Zealand milked pressure-relieving penalties, as Ethan de Groot and Tyrell Lomax had a field day.
In the end, the All Blacks secured 100% of their own feeds, while relegating England to just 64%, which is a major feather in the cap of forwards coach Jason Ryan.
Securing the series 2-0 will give the All Blacks confidence ahead of their clash with Fiji in San Diego and, more crucially, their upcoming Rugby Championship campaign. However, they will be acutely aware of the improvements that are necessary should they hope to compete with a red-hot Springboks side.
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