England rally to claim famous win over All Blacks

Quilter Nations Series

England (11) 33

Tries: Lawrence, Underhill, Dingwall, Roebuck Cons: Ford (2) Pens: Ford Drop goals: Ford (2)

New Zealand (12) 19

Tries: Fainga’anuku, Taylor, Jordan Cons: B Barrett, McKenzie

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 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 had New Zealand on the ropes early on, but rugby’s heavyweights rope-a-doped their way to a 12-0 lead with a clinical one-two punch, crossing twice in the space of four minutes.

Wing Fainga’anuku, whose father gave him the middle name Twickenham before playing at the stadium for Tonga in the 1999 World Cup, made himself at home, muscling over after 14 minutes in his team’s first real attack.

After England had fluffed the restart and scrum-half Cam Roigard pinned England back with a smart 50:22, Jordan sliced through, sucked in the defence and hooker Taylor was free to barrel in on the other wing.

The stark difference in attacking efficiency winded a previously noisy capacity crowd.

England had already wasted one fine opening with Underhill unable to get the ball away to the lurking Lawrence, when Alex Coles, too high into contact and with options outside him, was held up over the line.

With replacement full-back Marcus Smith on in place of the injured Freddie Steward, England sharpened up.

Smith had bolted into open space off the shoulder of Ben Earl to put the All Blacks into retreat before Lawrence stampeded through Leroy Carter and Beauden Barrett for a score that reduced the deficit to 12-5.

After the brawn, came the brains.

Ford, who missed a drop-goal in the last play of last year’s 24-22 defeat, recognised that England were being short-changed on the scoreboard for their territorial gains.

Instead of trying to pick though New Zealand’s defence, he twice dropped into the pocket and landed smart drop-goals inside three minutes, snipping the lead to a single point by the break.

England had hoped that they would accelerate in the second half with a bench loaded with six British and Irish Lions. Instead, the nitro boost they needed came from those already on the pitch – and some Kiwi indiscipline.

New Zealand hooker Taylor’s cynical play of the ball on the ground, knocking it out of the grasp of Smith in the first minute of the second half, gave England the impetus to hit the front.

A man up, England marched down the pitch, scrum-half Alex Mitchell sniped and Underhill ploughed over the final metre. Ford’s conversion continued England’s streak, moving them 18-12 clear.

Fin Baxter and Joe Heyes, the props picked to start ahead of Ellis Genge and Will Stuart, powered through their opposite numbers to earn a penalty.

Ford then scampered under the posts in the final minute of England’s powerplay, only for the score to be wiped off for a marginal offside by Roebuck.

England did not have to wait long, though.

Four minutes later a pre-planned move clicked perfectly. Off quick line-out ball, Lawrence looked set to thunder into contact.

Instead, as the New Zealand defence braced for impact, he deftly slipped the ball to Dingwall to race in for his second Test try.

With England 25-12 up, Genge, Stuart, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock came off the bench.

Initially England wobbled after their arrival, with Jordan going over and New Zealand drawing back to within six points.

But their energy and quality told, and the team’s composure returned.

Ford, superb throughout, kicked a penalty to push England nine clear, while Pollock got his toe to a loose ball before Damian McKenzie and Roebuck scooped up and slid in.

England play Argentina next weekend, hunting an 11th straight win, an autumn clean sweep and a 2025 in which their only defeat came in their first game against Ireland in February.

England: Steward; Roebuck, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; Ford, Mitchell; Baxter, George, Heyes, Itoje, Coles, Pepper, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Cunningham-South, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, M Smith.

New Zealand: Jordan; Carter, Proctor, Tupaea, Fainga’anuku; B Barrett, Roigard, De Groot, Taylor), Newell, S Barrett, Lord, Parker, Savea, Lakai.

Replacements: Taukei’aho, Williams, Tosi, Lord, Sititi, Ratima, Lienert-Brown, McKenzie.