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Autumn Internationals: England v New Zealand

Autumn Internationals: England v New Zealand

England host the All Blacks in Twickenham, the first meeting between the teams since 2014

Patrick Madden Sat, Nov 10
 
LIVE: Autumn Internationals: England v New Zealand

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  • Good afternoon!


    Welcome to our coverage of England's clash with the mighty All Blacks at Twickenham (kick-off 3.0pm).


    It's the most wonderful time of the year. Forget Christmas - November is where it's at.


    For fans of winter sport, it's where things get really interesting. The jumps racing is back in full swing, the football seasons are taking shape and the cream of the southern hemisphere are in town looking to avoid a bloody nose from Europe's finest.


    And this autumn, the rugby takes on greater significance than ever with the World Cup less than a year away.


    Today's fixture between England and New Zealand is their first meeting since 2014 - and their last until a potential match-up in Japan.


    The back-to-back world champions arrive in London at their fearsome best - but a home defeat to South Africa in the Rugby Championship gives everybody hope. Immortal, but not invincible.


    Eddie Jones's injury-ravaged side however are a long way from where they would want to be - and presumably where they thought they would be - 12 months out from the World Cup.


    This afternoon, though, they have nothing to lose.


    It promises to be a cracker at a sodden Twickenham - we'll be bringing you all of the action as the November Tests roar into life.


    Come on!!!

  • TEAMS

    England: 15. Elliot Daly, 14. Chris Ashton, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Ben Te’o, 11. Jonny May, 10. Owen Farrell (cc), 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Ben Moon, 2. Dylan Hartley (cc), 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. George Kruis, 6. Brad Shields, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Mark Wilson. Replacements: 16. Jamie George, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Harry Williams, 19. Charlie Ewels, 20. Courtney Lawes, 21. Danny Care, 22. George Ford, 23. Jack Nowell.

    New Zealand: 15. Damian McKenzie, 14. Ben Smith, 13. Jack Goodhue, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10. Beauden Barrett, 9. Aaron Smith; 1. Karl Tu’inukuafe, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Sam Whitelock, 5. Brodie Retallick, 6. Liam Squire, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Kieran Read (capt). Replacements: 16. Dane Coles, 17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18. Nepo Laulala, 19. Scott Barrett, 20. Matt Todd, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Richie Mo’unga, 23. Ryan Crotty.

    Referee: Jerome Garces (France)

  • England squeezed past the resurgent Springboks at Twickenham last weekend - winning 12-11. Jones has made three changes from the side which beat South Africa, with  Chris Ashton, Ben Moon and Sam Underhill coming into the XV - Ashton for his first international start in four years.  

    Billy Vunipola's ongoing absence is a real shame - you'd give England's a puncher's chance with him in the saddle. Manu Tuilagi is also a big miss.

  • The teams are out at Twickenham - it is lashing.
  • One minute until kick-off and there's still two national anthems and a Haka to squeeze in.

  • Hard to know what result would suit Ireland ahead of next week. Ideally, England will take New Zealand into the trenches and drag them into a war ahead of their trip to Dublin.

    But a win for England could lead to a pretty serious backlash from the All Blacks next Saurday, however. . .

  • Haka time.  

  • Owen Farrell to get us underway.

    BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

  • 1 min: Good, frantic kick chase from England and Retallick spills the ball on the 22. Two English carries before Garces blows for the game's first scrum.
  • 2 min: Strong England scrum and Youngs feeds Te'o on the crash ball.  
  • TRY ENGLAND!!!!!

  • Whirlwind start for the hosts. England carry hard inside the 22 before Youngs flips a stunning pass off his left hand to the returning Ashton, who finishes well in the corner.

    Farrell hits the rigthhand post with his conversion attempt - small margins.

    4 MIN: ENGLAND 5 NEW ZEALAND 0

  • 5 min: Searching box kick from Young which McKenzie leaps to claim - he garthers well but Underhill has followed him like a tracer bullet and shunts him into touch on halfway. Big tackle.
  • 7 min: England keeping the pressure on. They carry hard in midfield, sucking black shirts in, before Farrell swings it wide to May. The pass isn't perfect but May stabs a kick ahead and scampers after it, forcing McKenzie to dive on the loose ball ingoal. Five-metre for the hosts.
  • 8 min: Scrum penalty for the All Blacks -  Tu’inukuafe putting big pressure on Sinckler.
  • 9 min: The All Blacks clear down the right but Taylor overcooks his throw at the lineout - England back in possession and into the New Zealand 22.

  • The ball is dropped back to Farrell in the pocket and he knocks over the dropgoal. Smart play.

    10 MIN: ENGLAND 8 NEW ZEALAND 0

  • 12 min: First real spell of possession for the All Blacks - dancing feet from Barrett followed by a typically brilliant offload round the man from Sonny Bill.  

    New Zealand lose the ball as Farrell strips Savea in the tackle and England clear their lines. Good chase from England but McKenzie makes a mug of Ashton and then Youngs with two stunning steps. They're warming up a bit.

  • 14 min: Plenty of ebb and flow to this. Nice feet from Slade on halfway before Farrell picks out Barrett, who is just about scragged by Shields.  
  • 15 min: Hartley gets a bit of treatment - a welcome breather for everyone after 15 minutes of madness. The hooker was having issues with his contact lenses - a handy excuse for the next time he clocks somebody off the ball.
  • 18 min: New Zealand in possession on halfway, England's line speed remains good. Eventually Barrett sends it high - the diminutive McKenzie gets up above Youngs but knocks it forward.
  • 19 min: This time the England scrum is solid and Youngs can clear down the right flank from a tight angle.
  • 20 MIN: ENGLAND 8 NEW ZEALAND 0

  • 21 min: The ball is kicked deep to May and he swings it inside to Daly who has plenty of green turf to work with. He scampers and steps but gets gobbled up by the black wall on halfway and New Zealand turn it over. However, the All Blacks give it straight back as Aaron Smith kicks down the left.  

  • 23 min: Daly pins a kick into the corner and after a good chase from Sinckler England force a five-metre lineout.

    Hartley hits Itoje, England get the maul rumbling. . .

  • TRY ENGLAND!!!!!

  • England get some unstoppable momentum from the maul - Farrell and Slade steaming in to help out the big lumps - and Hartley touches it down.

    Farrell converts.

    25 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 0

  • 26 min: From the restart Underhill absoltely snots McKenzie again. English tails are firmly up.
  • 29 min: A warning for England as Ben Smith makes a skating, gliding run from halfway before getting isolated and seeing his offload going loose.  
  • 30 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 0
  • 31 min: England have space on the left and Farrell finds Slade who kicks in behind the All Blacks with a low skidder, which bobbles into touch on the 22. Ryan Crotty is on for Sonny Bill - not sure if it's permanent or not.
  • 32 min: Savea locks in over the ball and earns the All Blacks a big penalty inside their own 22.
  • 33 min: The All Blacks in possession on the English 10-metre but there's a loose pass from Aaron Smith - they aren't ticking yet.
  • 34 min: Underhill scrage Barrett and twists him like a rag doll. The All Blacks have built 18 phases up to the 10. Lawes - on as a replacement - makes a good read to hit Retallick.

  • 35 min: The All Blacks still have the ball, however, and it's worked to Ioane on the left who slips it back inside to Goodhue. Nice rugby. Eventually, Underhill is pinged and New Zealand are awarded a penalty under the posts.

    Captain Read mulls it over before opting for a scrum instead of an easy three points.

  • 38 min: Good ball for the visitors from the scrum and Crotty makes a big carry up the middle. The All Blacks are inside the five, England hanging on grimly.
  • TRY NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!!

  • As soon as they started to build the phases it seemed inevitable. New Zealand move it left and Barrett finds McKenzie back on the inside who dives over for a nice score under the posts.  

    Barrett converts and Read's decision is vindicated.

    39 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 7

  • 40min: Farrell puts the restart out on the full.

  • 41 min: The All Blacks looking to land a hammer blow before the interval. They're up to the England 22 with a penalty advantage.

    This time, they'll go for the three points. Barrett nails the kick.

    43 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 10

  • HT: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 10
  • The teams are back out for the second half - Barrett gets us back underway!
  • 41 min: Neat work from McKenzie and then Ioane on the left who chips ahead and wraps up Wilson.
  • 42 min: Wow, the All Blacks butcher a golden chance. It all stems from a poor Young kick from which the Kiwis counter. Lovely feet from McKenzie who slips it off to Ben Smith. Read carries with Sevea on his shoulder but it's a poor pass and his fellow backrow can't hold on.
  • 44 min: The All Blacks have started this half like they ended the first, with plenty of possession inside the England 22. They throw another poor pass, though, beyond Ioane on the left. Jamie George is on lineout duty with Hartley subbed at the interval.

  • Nine phases for the All Blacks inside the England 22. The ball is slow, so it's moved back to Barrett who pops over the drop goal. His first in international rugby.

    47 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 13

  • 48 min: A brilliant Farrell kick is matched only by the chase, Te'o and Ashton on top of Ioane who is pinged for not releasing. England go for a five-metre lineout.
  • 49 min: Good lineout ball for England and the maul is held up fractionally short by the All Blacks who are penalised again. Farrell goes back into the corner.
  • 50 min: This time the England maul can't gain any traction so Youngs snipes and is held up just short. Itoje then pops it to Sinckler who spills the ball - chance gone.
  • 50 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 13
  • 51 min: Knock-on from Shields at a lineout on the 22. The All Blacks celebrating each English mistake with gusto.
  • 54 min: The All Blacks win their scrum and have space to move it right - but McKenzie makes a rare mistake as he sends his kick out on the full. He knew as soon as he put boot to ball.
  • 56 min: Lovely kick from Barrett, seeing the space on the left and finding touch on the bounce. Feels like a long time since England scored.
  • 57 min: Two changes at prop for England before the All Blacks win a 22 lineout and Savea thunders into contact. New Zealand are turning the screw.

  • 58 min: Twickenham finds its voice again as the All Blacks knock on in the 22 - but the whistle is blown for an English offside.

    This time, Read points to the posts. Barrett just outside the 22 towards the left - not usually his strongest position. It looks to be going wide, but he pulls it back in just in time.

    60 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 16

  • 61 min: Excellent block from Farrell on halfway after McKenzie's kick before he gets back up to scrag him. Kicks are traded before Youngs has a brainless moment and tries to chip the ball over the All Blacks line. It's comfortably picked off by Whitelock and McKenzie dances into the England half. It looks terminal for England until Farrell makes another fantastic tackle, smothering the New Zealand 15 and knocking the ball loose.
  • 64 min: Scrum penalty for England after the All Blacks are judged to have wheeled it. Lineout inside the New Zealand 10.
  • 66 min: Farrell switches the play with a smart kick from left to right but the All Blacks are again comfortable at the lineout. Replacement Perenara then clears.
  • 67 min: Another England lineout on the left just shy of the All Blacks 10-metre. This time, they secure it and move it quickly off the top it. Farrell then fizzes a kick in behind New Zealand - it's an inch from going out on the full. England playing for territory.
  • 69 min: Care spies more space in behind the All Blacks but Mo'unga clears excellently down the right. May runs back at New Zealand before another good Farrell kick - Nowell puts the pressure on and England have the lineout.
  • 70 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 16
  • 71 min: The totemic Retallick pinches England's lineout ball again. He has been monstrous.
  • 72 min: Read knocks on and after a break in play an England scrum is set. England move it left, Slade steps and then finds a good kick up the right. The hosts are back in All Blacks territory.
  • TRY ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!

  • DISALLOWED TRY!!!!

    Oh wow. Perenara picks and looks to box kick from the All Blacks 10-metre, but gets charged down by Lawes. The ball bounces for Underhill, who is clean through with only Barrett covering, he checks his step then straightens for the corner.

    But Garces then checks with the TMO. After numerous viewings he tells Garces that Lawes was in an offside position, which seems incredibly harsh. The try should have stood.

    76 MIN: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 16

  • 78 min: England back in possession on the 10 and May makes a great dancing run up towards the 22. The hosts are beyond 10 phases and trying to engineer a drop goal chance for Farrell - but they try to be too clever and a pass from Lawes is flicked loose. Brainless - surely keep it as tight and narrow as possible.
  • 79 min: The All Blacks win their scrum.
  • 80 min: The clock is red, the All Blacks are in possession.
  • FT: ENGLAND 15 NEW ZEALAND 16

  • Well that was a snorter. England agonisingly close to a famous victory, but it probably favours Ireland they didn't. On this evidence the All Blacks are beatable - but the chances of them losing twice on the bounce are next to zilch.

    I'm off to cover Ireland against Argentina - see you in 30 mins or so!