All Blacks vs England result: New Zealand does it the hard way at Twickenham to enter the 2024 clean sweep

This was the All Blacks’ ninth test since those first appearances under Scott Robertson and with nine starting changes since then, they are a decidedly different team.

After a patchy Rugby Championship campaign that delivered a disappointing 50% return, and Japanese excursion on the way norththe All Blacks arrived in London for the first of a grueling three-match spell with everything to prove.

Although they are still a long way from the finished product, a win of this magnitude, after a game in which they scored 22 goals, under these circumstances has the potential to make this All Blacks team.

The All Blacks led 14-12 at half-time, but this gripping match turned on its head immediately after the break when Marcus Smith fired an interception. He latched onto Cortex Ratima’s pass to sprint clear and set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso as England claimed the lead. the first time.

In another decisive moment, in a significant 10-point momentum swing, Beauden Barrett had his try wiped away due to Caleb Clarke’s deliberate knockdown.

Two scrum penalties, with Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Pasilio Tosi leading the charge from the bench, helped turn the tide for the All Blacks.

Trailing by five points with six minutes remaining, the All Blacks turned away the shot on target and were rewarded with Mark Tele’a finishing his second in the corner. Damian McKenzie froze the touchline conversion to regain the lead, but there was much more to come.

Anton Lienert-Brown’s yellow card in the 78th minute for yet another tackle on the ball gave England the chance to steal the win – only for George Ford to hit the post with the penalty. With Robertson on his feet in the coaching box, Patrick Tuipulotu spilled the ball to give England a scrum 10 yards from the line.

Ford, as the All Blacks defenders pressed on, pushed his failed goal attempt wide to deny England their quest for revenge.

With Ford shaking up his kicks, England’s decision to replace Smith will come under scrutiny.

With passes pushed and losing the ball on contact, the All Blacks were frustrated throughout. It was almost death due to frequent mistakes.

The All Blacks were lethal as they charged forward and released to find space in the wide channels, but their increasing lack of patience and execution continued to invite England back.

But in the end the All Blacks showed courage and hunger to overcome a second-half lead and hang on at the death.

England’s aggressive attacking defence, combined with contesting the collapse of slow possession, put pressure on the All Blacks’ first receiver and kicking game. Stifled and suppressed, the All Blacks initially struggled to get their attacking play going.

However, two deft chipkicks from Beauden Barrett brought rewards, as did changing the point of attack and adjusting the depth, but combating England’s defensive blitz proved a constant challenge.

The All Blacks’ second try, with Barrett switching to the blind side with a cutting move for Will Jordan, exposed the England defence, with the All Blacks full-back claiming his 36th try in 38 tests.

Wallace Sititi cemented his unstoppable form on the big stage with a man of the match performance. His first offload gave Tele’a just enough space to beat England prop Ellis Genge for the opening try. With more damaging carries that showed off his footwork and speed, Sititi broke England open. Had Tupou Vaa’i held Sititi’s pass, the All Blacks would have scored another.

The All Blacks were hit by several injury stoppages after losing Codie Taylor to a head knock inside four minutes. If there was one player the All Blacks couldn’t afford to lose, it was Taylor. In his absence, Asafo Aumua pressed hard and dealt defensive pain, but suffered familiar lineout throwing problems in the second half that proved costly.

Rieko Ioane left the field to repair his hand, which was oozing blood, but he returned. Vaa’i also left with a limp just after half-time – and Beauden Barrett also left the field for a late HIA – but Patrick Tuipulotu produced a colossal performance in a remarkable shift from the bench in the second half.

Although the All Blacks were more threatening in attack, they were also their own worst enemies at times. Eight penalties in the first half, three for tackling the ball and two at the scrum, were awarded, four of which Smith converted.

While they improve their record under Robertson to 8-3, things don’t get any easier for the All Blacks from here on out as Ireland sit and wait, looking for revenge for last year’s World Cup quarter-final in Dublin.

It won’t be easy to bounce back from this torrid battle in just six days, but with a nail-biting victory secured, the All Blacks will head into their next brutal battle with confidence.

All blacks: Mark Tele’a 2, Will Jordan tries, Beauden Barrett with 2, Damian McKenzie pen, with

England: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso try, Marcus Smith pin 4, con

HT: 12-14

Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010 and his work has taken him to Rugby, Netball and Cricket World Cups, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.