All Blacks weather furious England storm
England huffed and puffed but could not blow the touring All Blacks off course, going down 23-19 in an epic clash at Twickenham on Saturday. The All Blacks now head to Edinburgh to fetch the last piece of the 'grand slam' puzzle.
It was not the way New Zealand had intended to win. They spent the thirty-five minutes after their second try strapped to a rack and with the wheel being turned slowly but surely. But their torturers could not find the instrument which with to crank up the pain to breaking point.
England announced their re-entry into the upper echelons of world rugby with their performance. The pack matched New Zealand's in scrum, ruck, and maul, something no other pack has recently managed, and they made mincemeat of the vaunted New Zealand line-out in the second half.
The only aspect lacking of their game was a Dan Carter. Carter twice tore England's backs to shreds for New Zealand's tries with his aesthetically delighting running and handling, and his decision-making was never once found lacking.
By contrast, England's backs huffed and puffed a lot, and Charlie Hodgson's distribution was magnificent all day, but Mike Tindall is fleet of neither hand nor foot enough to trouble a well-strung defensive line, and Jamie Noon doesn't have the imagination or the speed.
If England can only find a new member of the inside three-quarters blessed with the finesse of Carter, or Australia's Drew Mitchell, or Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll, or France's Frédéric Michalak, New Zealand have another rival for 2007 in France.
In the meantime, the All Blacks can revel in being the world's best team, and being likely possessors of another clean sweep of the British Isles.
That New Zealand won this game is testament to an added modicum of mental toughness that was missing from their defeat to South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year, and was possibly the missing ingredient. A Scottish victory next week is too extraordinary to contemplate without drinking the contents of the half-bottles of Famous Grouse the SRU is currently distributing with tickets for home games. The Grand Slam is all but complete.
England scored their one and only try through the considerably less aesthetic -- but just as exhilarating -- method of driving a line-out maul round, through, and over their opponents for the lead in the second minute.
Much as England had begun against Australia last week, so New Zealand began against England. Carter kicked a flabby ball to touch which Cohen caught brought back infield for Charlie Hodgson to kick to the corner.
From the line-out, Matt Dawson charged down Byron Kelleher's kick and Dan Carter ushered the ball to touch with his hands a little too visibly, giving England the penalty. Hodgson opted for touch, and the pack rewarded the adventure with a bruising drive from under which Corry emerged to claim the opening try.
New Zealand were rattled, and made a few uncharacteristic errors, not least when Rodney So'oialo tripped over his own feet when running onto a flat pass, allowing the ball to rebound off his head for an England scrum. They also conceded three penalties during the frantic opening exchanges, where England's only transgression was an off the ball incident from Danny Grewcock.
But gradually the All Blacks found their rhythm. Shortly before Grewcock conceded that penalty, they had made forty-odd yards from their own 22 after stealing a line-out. Then they turned over ball from two England scrums -- with England turning over one of their own in between, and then New Zealand scored a magnificent try.
Carter was the architect with a quick step and effortless burst of acceleration between Corry and Sanderson -- whose tackle was lackadaisical to say the least -- before drawing all remaining defenders and slipping the ball under Josh Lewsey's arms to Tana Umaga for an easy 5m run-in.
Carter converted, but England were back in the lead almost immediately, with Hodgson banging over an immaculate penalty from an angle after Mills Muliaina had gone off his feet.
Lewis Moody gave away his match quota of points to restore parity again by putting his hands in a ruck, and it precipitated a ten-minute period of further All Black domination during which England gave away three more penalties. Carter kicked the last one to put the All Blacks in the lead for the first time, and they could have had a much bigger lead before the break.
Carter once again accelerated through a gap to set Umaga, Muliaina and Tony Woodcock combining for a scintillating trademark All Black breakout, and had Doug Howlett not been tackled early by Steve Thompson, there might have been a try. Thompson was not penalised though, and England got a scrum.
The All Blacks began the second half with a killer blow. Carter sold a sublime dummy to all four of England's defending three-quarters and set Rodney So'oialo away. The dreadlocked No.8 who seconds before had also claimed an up and under brilliantly during the move, was just inches short, but Woodcock and Mealamu drove over the line, Mealamu holding the ball.
Woodcock then began a run of ill-discipline that very much changed the shape of the game. First he late tackled Hodgson, allowing the latter to pull three points back, and then he pulled down an attacking English maul to reduce his team to fourteen men, for referee Alan Lewis had seen enough ball-killing.
His replacement Neemia Tialata didn't do much better. First he tackled a slightly battered-looking Hodgson around the jawbone to give England another three points, and then he too departed to a yellow card just as Woodcock was returning for killing the ball.
Hodgson kicked that penalty too, making it 19-23 (Carter had landed another earlier kick when Dawson had strayed offside). Tialata and Woodcock's contribution between minutes 49 and 67 was -9 points and two sin-binnings, something that nearly cost New Zealand the game.
The second half had been -- the first five minutes excepted -- all England's.
Cynics would be tempted to say that much of it was down to numerical superiority, but the level of domination enjoyed was far too comprehensive for that. England enjoyed 65 per cent of the second-half possession, and once within four points, hurled themselves at the black defence, which was taking longer and longer to rise from the tackles being made.
Martin Corry, Ben Cohen, Steve Borthwick, and Pat Sanderson were all prominent as the drives thundered in and the black wall shuddered, but never once was there a hint of a gap, and never once was there anything more imaginative than a sledgehammer trying to break the barrier down.
Eventually Ben Cohen was bundled triumphantly into touch, and some relieved All Blacks whooped and jumped with celebration. New Zealand are within sight of their goal -- but so, for a long time, had been England. Order may be restored to the Six Nations in 2006.
Man of the match: Jerry Collins was absolutely marvellous in defence all day long. He forced three or four turnovers, was among the first three to pretty much every single maul, tackled his heart out. The best defensive performance in a match won by the defence. There were other candidates, Rodney So'oialo had a great game, as did Byron Kelleher, and no New Zealand report is complete these days without a mention of Dan Carter. For England, Charlie Hodgson was excellent, Josh Lewsey solid as a rock, and Steve Borthwick a giant in the second row. But Collins was on another level.
Villain of the match: The closest there is to a villain would be Chris Masoe who disappeared to the sin-bin for a pretty cynical ball kill.
Moment of the match: Dan Carter's dummy and break for New Zealand's second try. Absolute magic from the world's most watchable player.
The scorers:
For England:
Try: Corry
Con: Hodgson
Pens: Hodgson 4
For New Zealand:
Tries: Umaga, Mealamu
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 5
Yellow cards: Woodcock (New Zealand, 47, collapsing maul), Tialata (New Zealand, 58, killing the ball), Masoe (New Zealand, 78, killing the ball)
England: 15 Josh Lewsey, 14 Mark Cueto, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Mike Tindall, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Matt Dawson, 8 Martin Corry (captain), 7 Lewis Moody, 6 Pat Sanderson, 5 Danny Grewcock, 4 Steve Borthwick, 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Andrew Sheridan (Matt Stevens, 73).
Unused replacements: 16 Lee Mears, 18 Louis Deacon, 19 Chris Jones, 20 Harry Ellis, 21 Olly Barkley, 22 Mark van Gisbergen.
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Tana Umaga (captain), 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Sitiveni Siviatu (Joe Rokocoko, 73), 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher (Piri Weepu, 72), 8 Rodney So'oialo (Mose Tuiali'i, 76), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock (Neemia Tialata, 56-66).
Unused replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 18 Jason Eaton, 22 Leon MacDonald.
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Television match official: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
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