Impressive England offer hope
minutes, in wet conditions that couldn’t have been more favourable for the hosts if they were dialled up on request.
But they were good enough to dig their way out of the hole. To stem the flow of errors. To apply the pressure at lineout time. To hold on to some pill and to start building some pressure of their own.
Good teams win when games flow their way. Great sides get up when the odds are stacked against them and nothing is going their way. World champions solve problems as they unfold on the field.
The All Blacks were knocked off their stride by an outstanding opening half-hour from the English. But with their time and space taken away, and the Sweet Chariot riding high, they were then good enough to weather the storm and make the correction.
Under all sorts of pressure, they crafted their response perfectly, rattling off 10 quick points in the closing minutes of the first spell, getting their noses in front with a dropped goal (of all things) and a penalty, and then holding on for grim life. Like in Pretoria a few weeks earlier, they found a way when things were all kinds of unpromising.
Standouts? Ardie Savea, Damian McKenzie, Brodie Retallick were big. Scott Barrett and Ryan Crotty put in vital contributions off the bench. The lineout was a difference-maker. Beauden Barrett made the big plays when he had to.
But the big winner was the world game. England are indeed as good as Eddie Jones keeps telling us. South Africa are right there. Ireland too. Wales and Australia float dangerously. The chasing pack are nipping at the heels of the pace setting All Blacks.