New Zealand secured a 24-17 victory over England at Eden Park, despite the English team possessing a 17-13 lead in the final quarter, an opportunity that Marcus Smith confessed the team unfortunately squandered. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman made successful tries, courtesy of Smith’s kicks, contributing to England’s lead under Steve Borthwick’s coaching. However, the tide turned with Beauden Barrett’s entry into arena who helped the All Blacks rally to clinch the match.
Having previously won the first Test 16-15, New Zealand claimed a 2-0 series victory. The teams are slated for a rematch at Twickenham on November 2nd. Smith, who scored two conversions and a penalty, acknowledged that the teams were finely balanced with minute details making the difference.
In Eden Park, considered a landmark in rugby, Smith expressed his belief to Sky Sports that England had the potential to bring about an exceptional outcome. It was, according to him, the minor instances — a missed touch at the breakdown, or few inaccurate decisions on the boundaries — that tilted the balance in favour of the All Blacks. When leading, he confessed, the All Blacks are challenging to overcome due to their successful record.
Despite making headway on the field and increasing their confidence, England has had to concede defeat twice. Smith commended the New Zealand team, describing them as hard to conquer, but vowed that England would be ready to compete in the autumn.
England maintained control over the field and the ball in the third quarter, however, failed to muster the points required to defeat the All Blacks when they appeared to be faltering. George Martin’s needless penalty at a lineout and Jamie George’s fumble as he rallied for an attack are unfortunate incidents the team needs to reflect on.
“It’s hard. We’ve made some advances in our gameplay, but this wasn’t sufficient at the end,” stated Maro Itoje, the second row.
In the latter part of the game, our precision wasn’t up to scratch. We let slip too many points and granted our rivals a comfortable field position and score. Such mistakes should not be made when competing with a superior team.
We inadvertently provided them with opportunities in the backfield which gave players like Beauden Barrett and his peers the chance to counter attack. It’s a learning experience and can only aid in our improvement.
Scott Barrett, the skipper of the New Zealand team, conceded that the All Blacks had to showcase their mettle in each game.
He stated with evident pride, “it’s commendable how the boys retained grip of the game, winning the battles of strength and successfully implementing their tactics.”
He further added, “International games indeed put your character to the test, and we had to push ourselves to the limit right up until the closing minute. I’d also like to acknowledge England’s robust performance against us in both tests.”