All Blacks launch comeback to snatch dramatic victory against England

It was a thrilling if mistake-ridden contest which saw the All Blacks go 14-12 ahead at the break through Mark Tele'a and Will Jordan tries.

Marcus Smith kicked four penalties to keep the Red Rose in the game before the fly-half set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's score in the second period.

Smith then added another three-pointer and it looked as though the hosts would finally beat the All Blacks, but a late response, which saw Damian McKenzie land a penalty and Tele'a cross the whitewash, resulted in New Zealandâ™s third consecutive win over England.

It was George Ford, who had come on for the brilliant Smith, that missed the tackle for Telea's try while he was also awry with two late kicks that would have won the game for Borthwick's outfit.

England have taken a much more adventurous approach under Borthwick in 2024 and they signalled their intent from the kick-off when Smithâ™s cross-field kick to Feyi-Waboso almost worked out.

That bold decision was indicative of a bright start from the hosts, who moved in front via the boot of their fly-half.

However, the All Blacks' kicking game was also dangerous, with Cortez Ratima and the two backline Barretts testing the English aerial game.

Equally, they looked to move the ball through the hands when the opportunity presented itself and that variety proved too difficult for the Red Rose to handle on eight minutes.

Wallace Sititi, who was brilliant once again, was the creator as the back-rowerâ™s brilliant off-load found Tele'a out wide. The wing still had plenty to do but he rounded Ellis Genge and finished in the corner.

That wasn't the only chance New Zealand created but at times they were profligate, while their ill-discipline was allowing England to remain close.

Three off-the-ball hits were called by the television match official and on each occasion Smith was able punish them off the tee.

England's fly-half was keeping his side in the game as their defence struggled to stay connected against the All Blacks' smart attack.

More often than not Beauden Barrett was taking the right option and he spotted a gaping hole to send Jordan scampering through for another try.

Robertson's men threatened to break free at that point, but the penalty count hurt them and a fourth Smith three-pointer reduced the arrears to two points at the interval.

That ability to stay in the contest proved crucial for the hosts and they benefited from another error by New Zealand at the start of the second period.

The All Blacks got themselves in a tangle with ball in hand and Ratima's pass, who otherwise had a fine match, was intercepted by Smith.

He still had plenty to do, especially with Jordan bearing down on him, but the playmaker dummied and found his support in George Furbank, who shipped it on to Feyi-Waboso to touch down.

England grew in confidence following that score while the All Blacks began to make a few too many mistakes and the home side controlled territory.

However, New Zealand are always dangerous, particularly off turnover ball, and they appeared to have scored when Caleb Clarke broke down the left and fed Beauden Barrett, but it was correctly called back for a deliberate knock-on.

From the resultant penalty, Smith was once again on target and England held a 22-14 advantage with a quarter of the game remaining.

The All Blacks struggled in the final 20 minutes of matches in the Rugby Championship, but they got back to within a score through McKenzie's three-pointer.

And as New Zealand did in July, they began to ramp up the intensity and, under pressure, the Red Rose folded as Tele'a crossed the whitewash for a second time.

Ford missed the tackle on the wing to allow him to score but the replacement fly-half - and his team - still had an opportunity to snatch the win in the final few minutes.

The pivot was twice handed the chance to atone for that error but he was awry on both occasions as the All Blacks held on.

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