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The opener: Hosea Gear
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Teams
- England
- New Zealand
Also see
- Minute-by-minute: How the All Blacks won
- Japan thump Russia
New Zealand managed to survive a spirited second-half fightback from England as they recorded a 26-16 victory at Twickenham on Saturday.
It really was a game of two halves in London, the visitors enjoying a great deal of ball in the first 40 before England upped their game in the second.
But tries from Hosea Gear and Kieran Read along with Dan Carter's sixteen points saw them edge their hosts, who will be encouraged by their effort.
England were adventurous and can head into next week's clash against Australia with greater belief, with New Zealand having been on the rack.
As expected, the All Blacks did come out swinging following events in Hong Kong and quickly set about putting England under some sustained pressure. Gear, Ma'a Nonu and Read were leading the fight, with the Hurricanes wing starring in the first period. He would later be rewarded.
But despite their early dominance, New Zealand would in fact be forced to wait until the seventeenth minute for the breakthrough. And as they were in the English capital, it was the old bus scenario as two quick-fire scores soon arrived. First it was Gear who managed to squeeze his way over wide out after TMO backing and then a driving finish from Read came in between conversions from the calm Carter.
England were clearly rattled and did muster some sort of pressure on the visitors' line. But it was hardly penetrable as a lack of incision seemed worrying for the home fans. One area that did bear fruit however, was the scrum as Dan Cole went well against Tony Woodcock.
Mike Ford had this week said that the Tri-Nations did not live up to proper Test rugby and he was eating his words early on. Cole, Andrew Sheridan and Steve Thompson were getting the better of their front-row opponents but it was in back-play that the Kiwis had the edge.
Carter missed a tenth-minute penalty before debutant Sonny Bill Williams showed his running strength to slip through the English midfield and feed Gear. Carter did not miss the touchline conversion though to make it 7-0.
Read then capitalised on some weak fringe defence and burrowed his way over, with the extra two points making things look ominous for England.
But fly-half Flood was starting to put his side in the right areas and his three points on 25 minutes was a boost. However, it was soon cancelled out when Lewis Moody infringed to allow Carter to add three more points for New Zealand.
After taking a hammering for the best part of 35 minutes, England finished the half promisingly although ultimately they had nothing to show for it.
The hosts' dominance of New Zealand's scrum grew in the second-half and Flood slotted a second penalty but Carter again responded immediately after Thompson had been penalised for hands in the ruck. Dylan Hartley came on and made an immediate impact, scoring his first Test try to bring England back into the game just before the hour.
England had momentum but kept shooting themselves in the foot, allowing Carter to strike two penalties either side of one from Flood that kept the All Blacks two scores clear.
Martin Johnson's charges then spent the last fifteen minutes camped in New Zealand territory and Jerome Kaino was sin-binned as the pressure began to tell.
Easter charged forward and England spread play wide left to Hape, who dived for the line but spilled the ball under pressure from Isaia Toeava as the All Blacks held on for the win.
Man of the match: Call him old fashioned or one dimensional, but Nick Easter put in the hard graft for England and just beats Dan Carter to the gong.
Moment of the match: Italian television match official Giulio De Santis awarding New Zealand their first try after one angle showed Hosea Gear having a foot in touch.
Villain of the match: A few grapples and one forearm from Dylan Hartley but all in all no one stood out for the award. Mike Ford was up there until England's second-half performance.
The scorers:
For England:
Try: Hartley
Con: Flood
Pen: Flood 3
For New Zealand:
Tries: Gear, Read
Con: Carter 2
Pen: Carter 4
England: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Shontayne Hape, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Lewis Moody (capt), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Tom Palmer, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Harltey, 17 David Wilson, 18 David Attwood, 19 Hendrie Fourie, 20 Danny Care, 21 Charlie Hodgson, 22 Delon Armitage.
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Sonny Bill Williams, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (capt), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Liam Messam, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
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Comments
thegreenadvocad says...
The first try was legitite, simultaneous contact with the tryline and the sideline is a try- read the rules. No mention of the offside (it was blatant) or the following double movement. And the tackle on Hape wasn't a shoulder barge, in 90% of tackles the contact comes from the shoulder, it's nly a shoulder barge if you don't lead with your arms, Toeava had both hands on Hape before the shoulder even hit, I love watching England lose, good luck against the other Aus and SA, only hope for a win will be samoa and even that could be close.
Posted 20:29 10th November 2010
masy171 says...
Piru
I'm only disappointed with the way English rugby is going. Considering we have such a wide birth to pool from, the game here really isn't run well, and that filters from the top down.
If you wish to call one the world's greatest players a cry baby after suffering a spear from Mealamu and Umaga, then your obviously a Sher with no knowledge of what rugby is truly about with a feigning interest in how to conduct yourself.
My interest extends into a high level club, so we'll leave the knowledge at that.
dylster I completely agree with what you've wrote. Next year will be immense, and nationality aside, I think every rugby is hoping NZ can do it this time, but at the same time, there'll be the side everyone is hoping loses! It's a bitter double edged sword! Either way, rugby is shaping up so well, the world cup next year, with the young talent coming through is going to be very very special!
Posted 15:42 09th November 2010
piru says...
Masy you manage to mention crybaby BOD's exit from the Lions tour and the old ABs peaking chestnut in the same post. I guess we can safely discount your input as that of another bitter and twisted NHer with a passing interest in rugby.
Posted 05:58 09th November 2010
dylster says...
@ masi
the article on here is of Hape claiming that he was shoulder barged.....if you want to talk about playing to the whistle, then heres a good example, the ref didnt call it a shoulder barge?
ok textbook tackle is a bit of an exageration, but in the photo in that article you can see he has his right arm is out.
refs fault on the try?! of course it is!! I'm not blaming the English players for the Hartley try, it was the ref that didnt spot the infringements!
Funny how every forum always comes back to the World Cup and how the ABs are peaking and going to choke again. Well I hope they don't, but I also hope the most deserving team wins, and the final is a good game of rugby.
Regarding excuses? If we lose, then the better team won! EG - Hong Kong, Aussie played out of their skins and deserved to win! O'Connor is awesome, and Beale is awesome too. But when you support a team, you always look for things you could have done better! I guess that gets interpreted as whinging!
Posted 19:48 08th November 2010
masy171 says...
@dylster...
If the tackle was so text book on Hape, then why is there an article on it on this very website talking of a shoulder barge?!
We teach kids to play to the whistle. It was the refs fault on the try, no one elses.
The All Blacks get treated like Manchester United do in football. All refs are too scared to treat them fairly or properly. It seems you have a chip on your shoulder when it comes to that! Just looks at how GH has reacted to Mealamu's citing! "accidental", "cleanest player I know". I'm sure BOD would agree on that after the Lions tour in 2005.
Lets hope the NZ curse of peaking too soon isn't starting to set in...though I'm sure you'll muster your excuses for that as well.
Posted 12:14 08th November 2010
jaymas says...
carter again outstanding!!! i just hope some of the other teammates step up
Posted 11:17 08th November 2010
jaymas says...
carter again outstanding!!! i just hope some of the other teammates step up
Posted 11:17 08th November 2010
Cass402 says...
Think a few people on here need to re-read the rulebook.When tackled near the line you are permitted to place the ball...the fact that he hit the ground with the ball doesnt count as placing...if it did then every ruck in a game would lead to a penalty.Every side is coached to place the ball as far back in a ruck when tackled.
Posted 09:41 08th November 2010
jaymas says...
the all blacks looked a little rusty with some new combinations. but as an all black fan i expect better!!! england played well but still a little way off the mark for the southern hemisphere teams!!!
Posted 09:08 08th November 2010
dylster says...
@ masy171 ...
few strange calls there mate, you say "Yes there were infringements on the build up"...i agree, and those infringements meant he scored the 'try'. im not too sure how you can defend that? i would love to be reading this if it was an all black try...there would be all sorts of "the ABs are cheating again", and conspiracy theories and no doubt Paddy O'Brien would somehow be to blame!!
And the Hape attempted try?
"did you see the tackler try and wrap his arms around him?" YUP! check youtube...Toeava clearly has his arms around him, that was an awesome tackle! pretty much a textbook trysaving tackle
@rugbylover - thanks for the feedback! I always get my 'there's' and 'their's' mixed up...
Posted 04:38 08th November 2010
mana says...
maybe fileding more Southern Hemisphere players,will better the england teams effort in adopting that expansive style rugby,..heck! they do it in football and pay them millions...
Posted 13:36 07th November 2010
Vuvuzela4eva says...
What no villian??? Head to head Mealamu would take down Bakkies Botha! I guess you missed those countless 'matrix' like slow motions, or is it because he wasn't wearing green?bah humbug
Posted 12:00 07th November 2010
masy171 says...
Everyone seems to be concentrating on the Hartley try. Yes there were infringements on the build up, but you play to the whistle, and both sides got some slack off the match officials. In terms of this so called "double movement". We were there and watched it on replay too. A double movement instigates that you move TWICE in an attempt to score a try. Hartley, though stationary, stretched his arm out once and placed the ball on the line. You see lots of this going on in the Premiership, Super 14 and internationals a like.
The match officials were dire! The ref missed numerous things, and the touch judge! Nick Easter was out the first time, but the second...a Joke! Shontayne Hape's TMO... did you see the tackler try and wrap his arms around him? It was a shoulder barge!
Is Brian Smith doing that good a job for England? or is that Jonno still thinks rugby should be played like it was in 2003?! As for Defensive... Mike Ford had Nick Easter in the midfield leading up to the try. Him against SBW. Surely Tom Croft would have been the back row to work the midfield with his pace?
They say there is no wrong answers, only feedback. Jonno and his set up have had plenty of feedback now, so lets hope next week against Australia they can focus on something other than the scrum!
Posted 11:36 07th November 2010
StunTheMullet says...
Oh yes! Another GLORIOUS DEFEAT!
Lets re-cap, experimental NZ side up 17-3 at half time get bored to sleep in the second half as the White Knights revert to type and trundle from set piece to set piece, indulged by a bonehead referee (more on that later), after they get punished when they try to take NZ on at their own game.
Though as soon as it's 14 on 15 with 10 to go they feel that they are in with a chance to score a try but still can't nail it.
The only "try" scored is a calamity of officiating errors from the 4 blind mice with missing the chaser in front of kicker, SBW tackled without ball, and double movement referred to TMO who ruled it a try. Job well done, A bit like the NZ scrum getting penalised and free kicked while the White Knight scrum gets resets when the front row goes up, there are collapses and crooked feeds.
You've also got to wonder when Captain Galoot spends his time throwing his handbag around off the ball, Hothead Hartley throws are as straight as Freddie Mercury then outdoes himself trying to remove Richie McCaws head.
Thankfully righteousness prevailed though a more reflective scoreline would have been 26-9. More if the ABs could stay awake.
Posted 10:30 07th November 2010
rugbylover says...
dylster
Bad luck - spelling error ("there") - but concept 100%.
Regards
ps - just ignore people like Nicholas - obviously, he has never actually played the game [even the English version] but I'm sure he sings well [albeit a limited repertoire].
Back to work - it's always 'go' after big matches.
Posted 09:36 07th November 2010
Ramage says...
The Home Nations supporters have a very warped outlook on rugby team selection and eligibility as well as the blinkers on when it comes to what happens in the game. Seems if a player is born in NZ of Pacific Island parents whether they be born also in NZ or in the Islands then they think those players some how should be playing for Samoa or Tonga or Fiji. On that basis then those other NZers born of English Irish Scottish or Welsh heritage including many Maori players should be playing for England, as so many are usually rejected players, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Not counting those from other Countries including South Africa who have settled in NZ. Which means there is no NZ team.
On the field two tries were decided by the TMO, One a 50 50 was given. I couldnt tell whether he got it down before his foot hit the touchline however the TMO decided he did. Yes you can argue over it but there were no infringements leading to that try. If he was wrong then that makes two bad mistakes for the English try, though given, had an element of offside play, foul play, holding back Sonny Bill, and a clear double movement. Hmm I await to see if De Santis is removed from the TMO position as his decision on that try was clearly an elementary mistake in law and can not be allowed to happen. If he was also wrong on Gear's try then he must be removed from future tests. In fairness to the St African removed as an assistant referee in the Tri Nations this must happen. I await Paddy O'Brien's decision with interest.
Hey Barnes Of England missed one forward pass in try that won a test match and copped a lot of derision Poite missed the offside a piece of foul play and the double movement. Hmmm but the game was not lost, so probably his glaring faults will be lost in the mirrors of time.
Posted 08:53 07th November 2010
dylster says...
@ Nicolas41.....hahahahhahaaa do your research before making yourself look stupid! England had more foreign players...'Hape' isnt your classic English name now is it?!
Arrogance? I dont think so...but even if the ABs were, then they do have the record to back it up. The English coaches, media and players talk it up, the only difference being they dont win many games. All talk.
Although I do think England always seem to up there game come World Cup time, I don't think they have a realistic chance of even reaching the semis.
Hope my grammar was up to scratch...
Posted 08:41 07th November 2010
gauca says...
@the oc
You say the ref oversaw a debacle of a scrum and I assume therefore you mean he reffereed it poorly? I ask you how is he supposed to ref it correctly when every front rower is doing some illegality or another in the scrum or we continue to see crooked feeds, flankers breaking off early, weak scrummagers taking an eternity to set themselves etc etc etc? It is an impossible task and players will continue to abuse this as a lottery because thats what players have turned it into, they don't give the refs a chance to ref the set piece properly.
I suggest the clock should not be active during the scrum to stop time wasting and a ruining of the game spectacle overall? The fourth off perhaps to come on as an aditional ref on scrum opp side with power to give srum pens? so an eye is kept on both sides, I think unless both are adopted it will always be a lottery, though it would slow the game down it would force a cleaner contest.
'a certain frenchmans handling of the scrum debacle' - I hope this comment lacked the undertone it implies when you wrote it. There is no such thing as a ref who can handle the scrum properly these days and this is due to the players forever trying to get away with things, how can 1 constantly observe 18 players most of whom will be cheating somehow. Fra refs on the whole having watch many refs from diff countries for many years are the strongest and most clued up when it comes to the set piece. Whether or not they are satisfactory they are at least the best of a poor bunch in this respect.
Posted 08:33 07th November 2010
rugbylover says...
So, let's get this right. Attention Nicholas41 aged 12 in Form 3.
The coach of ANY British Isles side that [dare one actually SAY the word?] LOSES to ANY SH side is:-
1. Delighted that his team performed SOOOOOO well (stand fast Declan Kidney), playing with great determination & spirit [gosh], & learning very useful lessons.
2. Disappointed that a ┐few┐ very tiny errors caused the ┐ er ┐ ah.........
3. Conscious of the fact that the opposition [comprising Martians & other non-earthling (=unnatural & despicable) players were favoured by the referee, linesmen, TMO, citing commissioner - but not the crowd of discerning, Barbour clad bleaters with their (Twickenham) one line song, while our gallant, fair lads (though formidable SCRUMMAGERS are really very nice sportsmen),
4. Facing the start/middle/end of our season. They are; match-hardened/cynical/not carrying any injuries.
5. Building for the REAL contest ┐ er - RWC ┐ that the opposition have/will peak too early. They will ┐bottle it┐ - NZ especially (chortle) ┐ come on ANYONE against them.
6. Unconcerned with short-term results. We are on the right path ┐ building a formidable side for the future [comprising only three or four New Zealanders ┐ not like those All Blacks with the whole side manufactured in ┐ er ┐ Auckland or where-ever. Like our Olympic athletes, test cricketers ┐ ALL natives ┐ er............of Britain.
7. Fully in agreement with poor old Brian [cheap-shot] Moore, & poor, sad, bitter Stephen Jones (John Reason no relation).
Afterwards, I watched on tv ┐ it just didn't show the dominance of NZ, although our lads played with great enthusiasm, & we┐re building for the future. . Er............
NINE losses in a row, lads. But NZ won't win the WRC. Hurrah! So that's all right. ps, our scrum is MUCH better.
SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT.
..........sigh.
Posted 08:33 07th November 2010
Josywales says...
If the Tri Nations is not Test Rugby and England lost to a team that is not playing test rugby one has to wonder what standard rugby is England playing now. Maybe time they got a new defensive coach. Yes, It is good to be a Kiwi.
Posted 07:43 07th November 2010