Three things we learned from England v NZ
REACTION: World champions New Zealand edged England 16-15 in a gripping one-off Test at Twickenham on Saturday.
AFP picks out three things we learned from the match:
George’s radar askew
Arguably what cost England the match was the deterioration in the line-out in the second half when Jamie George came on for co-captain Dylan Hartley.
The campaign to have George installed as number one hooker has been resisted by Eddie Jones and Saturday’s match will have justified that decision. But neither that or Hartley’s first-half try will be of any consolation to either the head coach or the co-skipper given the final result.
Ashton back with a splash
A bit-part player as a replacement against the Springboks last week, the 31-year-old took little time to announce his return as a starter at Test level when he was picked out by Ben Youngs for his 20th Test try.
He showed up well in defence too – an area where he has been seen to be lacking – getting back to touch down over the line and put in five tackles. The early try was the high point for him as his attacking and predatory skills were never brought back into play due to the appalling weather conditions and New Zealand coming back into the game.
McKenzie dancing his way to the top
Damian McKenzie is a rare sight with his slight frame in a modern game dominated by bulky physiques, where sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between backs and forwards.
However, what he lacks in stature he compensates for with delightful movement and dancing feet. He did not let being caught napping for the Ashton try get to him.
His try in the first half was fairly routine, but a sublime piece of footwork in his own 22 earlier in the half was worth the ticket prices for the soaked spectators. He produced another delightful run in the second half only for Farrell to strip the ball from him.
AFP
