All Blacks secure dramatic win in Twickenham arm-wrestle

MATCH REPORT: New Zealand started the European leg of their year-end campaign with a hard-fought 24-22 win over a willing England team at Twickenham on Saturday.

England held the lead for most of the second half, but a second Mark Tele’a try, converted by replacement Damian McKenzie, saw the All Blacks snatch the win.

The visitors outscored their hosts by three tries to one, with the unerring boot of flyhalf Marcus Smith (five penalties and a conversion) keeping England in the game.

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England led 22-14 with 13 minutes left, but replacement flyhalf Damian McKenzie and Telea’s second try of the match helped give New Zealand a two-point lead.

England substitute flyhalf George Ford, who had hit the post with a 79th-minute penalty – his first goal-kick of the game – missed what would have been a winning drop-goal with the last kick of the match in stoppage time.

Defeat in their November opener was yet another frustrating loss for England, with Steve Borthwick’s men beaten in several close games since the 2023 World Cup – including 15-16 and 17-24 losses in New Zealand in July.

Saturday’s reverse was particularly tough on flyhalf Marcus Smith, who kicked 17 points and grabbed the interception that led to England’s lone try through wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

New Zealand led 14-12 at the break, the All Blacks scoring converted tries through Tele’a and prolific fullback Will Jordan, with England’s points coming via four Smith penalties.

England, however, hit back early in the second half through Feyi-Waboso’s try only to suffer another agonising loss to the All Blacks.

New Zealand made wholesale changes to the team that launched their tour with a 64-19 thrashing of Japan last week as several first-choice players returned to the starting XV.

Scott Barrett led a side where his brothers Beauden and Jordie lined up alongside each other at fly-half and inside centre for the first time in a Test.

Home playmaker Smith gave England a fifth-minute lead.

But New Zealand hit back four minutes later when, after a neat reverse pass from flanker Wallace Sititi out of a tackle by England full-back George Furbank, Tele’a went over for a try on the blindside as he out-matched England prop Ellis Genge.

Beauden Barrett converted and New Zealand led 7-3.

England, however, reduced that gap to just a point with a Smith penalty awarded after another New Zealand tackle off the ball near their own posts.

New Zealand pulled clear in the 28th minute when Beauden Barrett’s superb inside scissor-pass released fullback Jordan who ran in from some 30 metres for his 36th try in just 38 Tests.

Beauden Barrett’s conversion put New Zealand 14-6 ahead before another Smith penalty cut the deficit.

England flank Chandler Cunningham-South’s thumping tackle on Tupou Vaa’i which led to a knock-on roused a crowd of over 81,000.

From the ensuing scrum, England won a penalty and Smith was on target with a 47-metre effort.

The second half was just five minutes old when Smith picked off a Cortez Ratima pass deep in his own 22 before sprinting clear of Jordan and linking with Furbank, who in turn released Feyi-Waboso.

Smith’s conversion meant England now led by five points.

Beauden Barrett thought he had scored a breakaway try but the score was ruled out on review for a deliberate knock-on by wing Caleb Clarke.

Smith’s penalty left England two scores in front at 22-14 and in sight of just a ninth win in 46 Tests against New Zealand.

But a McKenzie penalty, following a ‘no-arms’ tackle by No.8 Ben Earl, sparked the All Blacks’ revival.

New Zealand continue their tour against Six Nations champions Ireland in Dublin on Friday, with England facing Australia at Twickenham a week on Saturday.

Man of the match: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was full of running, Chandler Cunningham-South was England’s most productive forward and Marcus Smith was the general that drove the England onslaught. For New Zealand Patrick Tuipulotu was immense off the bench in the second half, Sam Cane and Ardie Savea were also very productive, while Mark Tele’a’s two tries put him in the mix. Our award goes All Black flank Wallace Sititi, who showed maturity way beyond his 22 years – with his carries into double digits, a match-high 100-plus metres, some offloads and nine tackles.

Moment of the match: There were two crucial tries – the Immanuel Feyi-Waboso try in the 45th minute, from a Marcus Smith intercept. It certainly turned the momentum in England’s favour. However, Mark Tele’a second try, in the 76th minute, proved to be a match winner.

Villain of the match: Caleb Clarke was lucky to get away with just a penalty for a deliberate knock-out in the 59th minute – something that looked very cynical. However, replacement Anton Lienert-Brown almost cost his team the game with two brain fades within seconds of each other – eventually yellow-carded for head-on-head contact and then there was an off-the-ball tackle soon afterwards.

The scorers

For England
Try: Feyi-Waboso
Con: Smith
Pens: Smith 5

For New Zealand
Tries: Tele’a 2, Jordan
Cons: B Barrett 2, McKenzie
Pen: McKenzie

Yellow card: Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand, 78 – foul play, head-on-head tackle and one too many off the ball tackles)

Teams

England: 15 George Furbank, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 11 Tommy Freeman, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 5 George Martin, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George (captain), 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Alex Dombrandt, 22 Harry Randall, 23 George Ford.

New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua,  17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cam Roigard, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Damian McKenzie.

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)