England pulls off All Blacks stunner
Source: Agencies |
December 3, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ENGLAND produced one of its finest performances ever to stun New Zealand 38-21 and end the world champion's 20-game unbeaten run in the most spectacular style on a memorable and quite remarkable afternoon at Twickenham on Saturday.
The All Blacks, who had won their last nine games against England and not dropped a European tour game for 10 years, were an odds-on 12-1 favorites at the start.
But they were outplayed in every department by a callow England team beaten by Australia and South Africa in the last two weeks, but which chalked up its highest score and a record margin against a team being increasingly touted as the best to have played the game.
England deservedly led 12-0 at halftime via the boot of Owen Farrell and, though the All Blacks closed to within a point with quickfire tries to Julian Savea and Keiran Read, the hosts roared back with tries by Brad Barritt, an inspired Manu Tuilagai and Chris Ashton.
New Zealand, perhaps suffering the effects of illness that hit the camp last week, got another Savea try but England, with only 206 caps in its starting XV to the 789 of its feted rival, dominated to the whistle to end coach Stuart Lancaster's first year in charge on an unexpected high.
"To put that scoreline on an All Blacks side that good is way beyond what we could've asked for, but we've had the belief all through the week," Lancaster said in an on-pitch interview.
In Cardiff, a last-gasp try to Kurtley Beale gave Australia a thrilling 14-12 victory over Wales which condemned the Welsh to a seventh successive defeat and left them facing a daunting World Cup challenge.
Flyhalf Beale capped a final throw of the dice by the Wallabies, diving over in the corner with 20 seconds of time left under a closed roof at the Millennium stadium.
It was the perfect send off for Australia captain Nathan Sharpe in the second rower's 116th and final test. Sharpe, handed the honor of trying - and failing - to convert Beale's try, was carried from the field on the shoulders of two teammates.
The All Blacks, who had won their last nine games against England and not dropped a European tour game for 10 years, were an odds-on 12-1 favorites at the start.
But they were outplayed in every department by a callow England team beaten by Australia and South Africa in the last two weeks, but which chalked up its highest score and a record margin against a team being increasingly touted as the best to have played the game.
England deservedly led 12-0 at halftime via the boot of Owen Farrell and, though the All Blacks closed to within a point with quickfire tries to Julian Savea and Keiran Read, the hosts roared back with tries by Brad Barritt, an inspired Manu Tuilagai and Chris Ashton.
New Zealand, perhaps suffering the effects of illness that hit the camp last week, got another Savea try but England, with only 206 caps in its starting XV to the 789 of its feted rival, dominated to the whistle to end coach Stuart Lancaster's first year in charge on an unexpected high.
"To put that scoreline on an All Blacks side that good is way beyond what we could've asked for, but we've had the belief all through the week," Lancaster said in an on-pitch interview.
In Cardiff, a last-gasp try to Kurtley Beale gave Australia a thrilling 14-12 victory over Wales which condemned the Welsh to a seventh successive defeat and left them facing a daunting World Cup challenge.
Flyhalf Beale capped a final throw of the dice by the Wallabies, diving over in the corner with 20 seconds of time left under a closed roof at the Millennium stadium.
It was the perfect send off for Australia captain Nathan Sharpe in the second rower's 116th and final test. Sharpe, handed the honor of trying - and failing - to convert Beale's try, was carried from the field on the shoulders of two teammates.
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