Rugby: Something for everyone in hard-fought encounter

All Black winger Julian Savea scores in the corner. England fullback Mike Brown is too late,...
All Black winger Julian Savea scores in the corner. England fullback Mike Brown is too late, while assistant referee Nigel Owens watches for the grounding. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Two teams intent on winning and playing attacking rugby, a home-town hero on top of his game and, in the end, an All Black win.

Throw in a a streaker - felled in the best defensive hit of the night - and this match at Forsyth Barr Stadium had it all.

The All Blacks came out on top thanks to a blitzkrieg of a third quarter where they scored three tries and left the English gasping for air.

The visiting side came back with two tries in the final 10 minutes to make it appear close on the scoreboard but the All Blacks had the game in the bag by then.

It had not looked that way in the first half, as England led and appeared to be in control.

No 8 Jerome Kaino, who had another storming match, said the All Blacks took a while to get going.

''In the first half, I felt like I was running around like a headless chicken. But I was quite proud in the way we came out in the first 20 minutes of the second half and took it to a different level,'' Kaino said.

''We didn't help ourselves by compounding penalties and mistakes but every time we got the ball they had a white wall in front of us and we couldn't get the pattern going.

''We just needed to try our best and throw the ball around and hang on to it.''

The All Blacks were down 10-6 at the break - it could have been a lot more but for Ben Smith's try-saving tackle - but the men in black came out firing in the second half and the visitors were found wanting.

Kaino said the side knew the English defence would open up.

''That was the message at halftime: hold on to the ball and keep the ball carriers going and the holes would appear. And they did. It was very fast and very physical.''

It was Kaino's first game under the roof, one he enjoyed.

''It was pretty weird. It was cold but the ball was very dry.''

Lock Brodie Retallick said dominating territory and possession in the third quarter was the key to the win.

''It just shows if we are playing down the right end of the field and we keep our structures together then the opportunities are going to arrive,'' Retallick said.

''I think we learned from last week that we had to put a bit more structure on the field and keep the ball.

''We did not play much footy in that first 20 minutes but we just had to wait to get the ball and put some phases together.

''We tried to step it up a little and once we strung things together it was always going to be challenging for them.''

The All Blacks went ahead three minutes into the second half after a turnover freed first five-eighth Aaron Cruden.

He broke the line and then linked with winger Julian Savea, who offloaded to a flying Ben Smith, who thrilled his home crowd with the first try.

Five minutes later, Aaron Smith broke down the blindside, and when the defence did not buy his dummy, the ball was recycled. Kaino found Savea on the outside for the winger to score.

England first five-eighth Owen Farrell was yellow-carded for not rolling away in a ruck and the All Blacks made the most of the advantage with Nonu scoring after centre Conrad Smith broke the defence.

England managed to come back and score through outside backs Mike Brown and then Chris Ashton at the death but the game was over by then.

Best for the All Blacks were fullback Smith and centre Smith, while Kaino and Retallick were huge in the pack.


All Blacks v England
The scores

All Blacks 28
Ben Smith, Julian Savea, Ma'a Nonu tries; Aaron Cruden con, 2 pen, Beauden Barrett con, pen

England 27
Marland Yarde, Mike Brown, Chris Ashton tries; Owen Farrell 3 con, 2 pen

Halftime: England 10-6.
Crowd: 28,470.


Statistics

Possession: All Blacks 61%-39%.
Territory: All Blacks 60%-40%.
Metres gained: All Blacks 569m-344m.
Line breaks: England 8-7.
Rucks/mauls won: All Blacks 95-54.
Tackles made: England 124-78.


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