Beauden Barrett's Heroics Secure All Blacks' Victory
The Auckland Fortress shook but Beauden Barrett came to save it. Led by England until the 61st minute, the All-Blacks dominated England (24-17) thanks to the decisive entry of the eldest Barrett. Dominated at the start of the match, the English conceded the first try, scored by Mark Telea (11th) after a first alert on a restart from McKenzie (7th). The New Zealand winger showed his mischief when he saw a small space in the short side five meters from the line and flirted with the touchline to score the first try. A sanction as a wake-up call for the English and Marcus Smith, immediately decisive on Freeman's try to return to the score (14th).
England's Resilience and the Turning Point
England believed it. A well-balanced cross and a duel won by the English winger put the two teams on an equal footing. Damian McKenzie passed two penalties before the same pattern repeated for Freeman's second try, with a second pass to Smith's foot just before half-time (40th, 13-14). Despite an inspired McKenzie, the Blacks were narrow with inaccuracies which did not allow them to produce long sequences. Put in difficulty by the English defense, they invested very little in the opposing 22 meters. The English, above all, won the kicking battle by pushing the players back into their camp thanks to Marcus Smith's foot and also took advantage of the difficulties to get out of their camp encountered by the Blacks. With three more points scored by Smith (50th) the XV de la Rose was 4 points ahead. This was before the entry of Beauden Barrett (56th).
Beauden Barrett changed everything. In ten minutes, the former best player in the world (2016, 2017) transformed his team and above all allowed the Blacks to win. Doubly decisive by a cross to the foot and a perfect fixation after a 40m race, on Telea's second try (61st) at the end of the line, he brought control and serenity to the All Blacks as on his intervention in his 22 meters after a low-pressure game from the English (65th). As if invigorated by the entry of Barrett, the All Blacks became dominant and strong again in important moments by obtaining a penalty on an opposing scrum 40m from their line (73rd). And as a symbol, it was again he who proved decisive by preventing an English try at the siren which would have deprived the Blacks of a victory.
With this success, the All Blacks maintain their invincibility in Auckland (30 years since the defeat against France in 1994) and above all, they offer their coach Scott Robertson a positive basis on which to work. They will face Fiji next week for the final match of the season.
Anticipation Builds for the Next Clash
We take the same and start again. This Saturday morning, the All Blacks will face the English again in a test match, seven days after their narrow victory (16-15) against the XV de la Rose. After defeating the Japanese at the end of June (52-17), Steve Borthwick's men will want to conclude their tour in the Pacific with a victory. But they will have to play this second test match against New Zealand without George Furbank. Injured in the back, the English full-back will be replaced by Freddie Steward, the Leicester player. A lack of weight for Borthwick's men, who were very close to beating the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time since 2003.
Above all, the All Blacks will be able to return to their home at Eden Park in Auckland, having played their first match against the English in Dunedin. On the New Zealand side, this will be the second match for new coach Scott Robertson, the former coach of the Christchurch Crusaders with whom he won no less than seven championships in a row, Super Rugby, between 2017 and 2023. It has been thirty years since New Zealand last lost a single match at Eden Park. The last time was against France, in 1994. This shows the task facing the English, semi-finalists of the last World Cup, against the New Zealanders, who lost in the final against South Africa. The test match between New Zealand and England can be followed on Saturday, July 13 at 9:05 a.m. on Canal +.
