England opened the autumn internationals with a 24-22 defeat by New Zealand at Allianz Stadium – their third successive loss to the All Blacks.
Here we examine five things learned from Steve Borthwick’s 25th match as head coach.
A costly decision
One question reverberated around Twickenham at the final whistle – why had Marcus Smith been replaced by George Ford? Smith had completed all six of his kicks at goal for an individual haul of 17 points, picked off the intercept pass for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s try and was the architect of England’s commanding eight-point lead. But with 18 minutes left he was replaced by Ford, whose first appearance since September 28 because of a torn quad was predictably rusty and the veteran fly-half duly missed late penalty and drop-goal attempts that would have snatched the win. A pre-planned substitution designed to close down the game may have cost England victory.
Near-miss nightmare
It was a new campaign but an all-too familiar outcome. England have developed the habit of building a significant lead against major opposition only to fall away in the closing stages. In three consecutive Tests against the All Blacks, taking in the July series, they have lost by a combined total of 10 points, adding to narrow losses against South Africa and France over the last 12 months. They are paying a heavy price for showing a lack of composure at clutch points in the final quarter.
The pressure is on
England already face an uphill struggle in their no-excuses autumn. Australia, South Africa and Japan follow New Zealand into Twickenham and given that three wins in the four Tests would be considered a reasonable return from the campaign, they have little room to manoeuvre. Back-to-back world champions the Springboks must now be toppled in a November 16 grudge match, as well as victories being posted against the weaker Wallabies and Brave Blossoms, to spare head coach Steve Borthwick searching questions about the team’s direction of travel.
Do not ‘bin’ the Haka
After a week of focus on the ‘Haka’ sparked by Joe Marler describing it as “ridiculous” and calling for it to be “binned”, the Maori war dance took centre stage at Twickenham. And what a spectacle it produced, with England accepting the challenge by advancing to the halfway line before the All Blacks surged forwards with only the cameramen separating the rivals. It was captivating sporting theatre that thrilled the audience and proved Marler’s is a minority view.
All Blacks on the slide
New Zealand’s decline was unmistakable at Twickenham. Flashes of brilliance remain and they still possess a host of world class players, but under their new head coach Scott Robertson they are uncharacteristically vulnerable. Following on from a Rugby Championship that produced three defeats in six matches, they crept over the line against an England side that threw the game away – again. Scott Barrett was asked on Friday if the All Blacks have lost their ‘aura’ and their captain replied that a month that also includes games against Ireland, France and Italy will answer that question. So far it’s looking like an emphatic yes.