The hosts crossed three times in the final eight minutes of a match that was seemingly lost, with replacement prop Stuart scoring two tries and Freddie Steward another in an incredible 19-point comeback.
New Zealand outplayed the hosts for much of the contest and were on course for a fourth straight win at Twickenham. Two tries in the first seven minutes from Dalton Papali’i and Codie Taylor, and a third from Rieko Ioane looked to have exacted revenge for their World Cup semi-final defeat to Eddie Jones’ men four years ago.
However, the game flipped in the 72nd minute when Stuart muscled his way over the line from a metre out and Beauden Barrett was sin-binned.
The man advantage proved crucial, as Steward glided over in open space for their second try and then Stuart planted the ball down in the last minute at a bouncing Twickenham.
AWESOME ALL BLACKS
As soon as this fixture was announced, it became the hottest ticket in town. A visit from the All Blacks is an event, as much as it is a rugby match, and Twickenham put on show befitting the occasion. The RFU were at the top of their game, from the pre-match pyrotechnics to the raucous atmosphere in the crowd, but, sadly for the hosts, New Zealand were too.
The first try came inside three minutes and almost in slow motion. England had a lineout near the halfway line and the routine started perfectly, with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie finding a leaping Jonny Hill at the rear.
Hill palmed it straight to the waiting Jack van Poortvliet and the scrum-half was due to fizz the ball straight to Smith. However, Van Poortvliet was perhaps the only person in the stadium not to see a charging Papali’i, who read the move, intercepted the pass and galloped clear across the empty grass and towards the try-line.
The red-hot Twickenham atmosphere quickly turned ice-cool and when Taylor wrestled the ball down from the back of a rolling maul, an All Blacks drubbing appeared to be on the cards.
The home fans needed to vent their frustration and referee Mathieu Raynal soon bore the brunt of it after he penalised England from their own lineout inside New Zealand’s five-metre line.
Raynal and his team, however, came to England’s rescue shortly after. Van Poortvliet was again caught out by New Zealand’s defence, with Ardie Savea hunting him down and forcing the ball loose metres from England’s line. The All Blacks used it as a launching pad for a six-phase move that appeared to end with Ioane barging his way under the posts. However, the TMO caught the try-scorer gripping Owen Farrell by the neck seconds before, and the score was wiped out.
England had to score next – and did. Farrell knocked through a penalty to cut the gap after Tyrel Lomax went to ground at the scrum to give them a platform from which to build.
Although the scoreboard said differently, England had proved more than a match for the All Blacks in general play but silly errors cost them. Farrell failed to find touch while trying to kick for the corner, while they conceded a penalty from a lineout just outside the New Zealand 22.
New Zealand finished the half on top and Jordie Barrett’s penalty on the stroke of half-time extended their lead to 17-3. It was a 40 minutes well done, and they would have been disappointed it was not a bigger margin.
ELECTRIC ENGLAND COMEBACK
England needed resuscitating at the break and whatever Jones said had an immediate impression, as they won a penalty straight from the kick-off and Smith kicked it through to cut the gap to 11 once more.
The fly-half was placed on kicking duties after Farrell went down with an awkward leg injury in the first half. The captain moved gingerly but stayed on the pitch, ceding only his job from the tee and determined to drive the hosts back into the game.
They so nearly reduced the gap even further, as Tuilagi found a gap, Smith hit the pass and the No.13 took the hosts inside New Zealand’s five-metre line. The crowd were roaring for a try but New Zealand’s defence held firm less than a metre out, a wall of black that England were just unable to penetrate. Eventually, Raynal awarded the All Blacks a penalty and another England chance went begging.
That proved costly, as within two minutes New Zealand scored one of the best tries you are likely to see in this Autumn Nations Series and seemingly put the game to bed. Inside his own 22, Beauden Barrett shaped to kick – but instead of clearing it upfield conventionally, he went crossfield to a wide-open Caleb Clarke. The winger stepped inside and then popped a pass off to the sprinting Ioane on the wrap-around, and watched on as the outside centre galloped down the left touchline and over for a try.
A frustrated England had plenty of territory and possession in the second half but made continuous errors inside the New Zealand 22 and conceded too many penalties. Beauden Barrett’s drop goal extended the All Blacks’ lead to 19 points
England finally crossed the whitewash with eight minutes to go, Stuart forcing it down from a matter of inches, while Beauden Barrett was shown a yellow card to leave New Zealand a man down for the rest of the game.
The mood at Twickenham shifted and England cashed in, Steward sliding across in the right corner after a brilliant passing move took England from their own half to the All Blacks’ 22. Smith’s conversion cut the gap to just seven points with a little over five minutes to go – and for the first time since Taylor’s try in the seventh minute, there was hope in the stands.
England then sent their fans crazy, as Stuart piled over the line after a break from Steward had the All Blacks on the back foot. The TMO was needed but it didn’t take long to confirm the prop had got it down, while Smith held his nerve to seal just the second draw in the long rivalry.
