Well done England

Well this game is still going when I write this but there's no way NZ can come back from a game that's already beyond them. NZ doesn't get too many defeats like this so when it does happen you have to tip your hat and commend the opposition performance. No excuses. The better side has won on the day.

I wrote a thread about applying pressure on this ABs side. England made a good start but I was worried that they didn't get points in the opening exchanges where England were dominating particularly at the breakdown. Indeed it was NZ that had the first opportunity for points. Carter missed two kicks but Farrell showed the importance of ticking the scoreboard over. 3 wonderful place kicks and a drop goal and England went into the shed at half time 12 - 0 up.

They started well as well and got another penalty. Then NZ responded and suddenly they looked good with the ball. 2 tries and it was 15-14 and England looked against the ropes. They showed character though and Manu had a big hand in getting England back on top. NZ started to fall off tackles and senior players like Carter who missed an important first up tackle and Read pushing a pass that got intercepted and the game was out of reach for NZ.

So England showed the importance of applying pressure and made this AB side look ordinary. I was impressed by Launchbury, Tom Youngs, Farrell and of course Tuilagi. But really you have to compliment the whole England effort. This will give them huge confidence going into the 6N next year and that will have an effect on their performance undoubtedly. France had a good autumn but now finishing the series on a high, you might say England go into the 6N with great belief.

For NZ the unbeaten year ends on a sour note. Make no mistake about it, this defeat will really hurt them. Poor old McCaw will probably not be able to relax in his sabbatical. This defeat will burn inside him. It was probably one performance one too many where mistakes caught up with them. I actually see this defeat as not necessarily a bad thing. Of course questions will be asked and as they should be. This NZ side responds well to disappointments. They despise losing. So a very challenging 3 match series against France awaits and a RC where Australia and SA should be stronger with injured players coming back.

So I salute the England performance. Well done. You deserved that victory and you looked a complete side out there today. NZ's season ends on a very sour note but I expect this side to come back from this experience. It's an important lesson to learn that if you don't do the basics well and don't get enough possession, you should get punished. It was good England capitalised out there today and it's great for world rugby. Now England has to build on this performance and go out with belief in themselves and play like world beaters again on a consistent basis. As for the NZ team, this was a disappointing performance today but hats off to this side from their performance overall this season. You were world champions and came out and played like that and even looked better than the side that won last year. But they are not a complete side and of course can be beaten. The aura was broken a little today but I have no doubt that the boys will come back stronger and hungrier next year. kia kaha

Didnt see the game, was watching Wales switch off for the last 30 seconds and let Australia win.

But well done England

Its the first time for a long time I have seen NZ denied space to play. Usually if blitzed / closed down they can still find a space or two in some way or another but not today.

England maybe a bit flattered by the scoreline but well worth the win.

Enjoy it chaps. Good win

Well to be honest, i never thought that happen today.

I am not talking about the score, i am talking about England winning today.

Lets not hear excuses about the Ref won the game for England? Please.

So Happy! Where did that performance come from?



TJ, thanks so much for the link. Wouldn't have missed that for the world!

Well done England, at least someone managed to stop them.

Gurtted to be Welsh again though, I really can't believe our players always seem hell bent on fúcking it up every time.

majesticimperialman wrote:Well to be honest, i never thought that happen today.

I am not talking about the score, i am talking about England winning today.

Lets not hear excuses about the Ref won the game for England? Please.

Don't know where you might think that. Like I said. No excuses. Enjoy the win.

majesticimperialman wrote:
Lets not hear excuses about the Ref won the game for England? Please.

Can't be done. 17 pt margin is more than the rub of the green on the refs decisions, more than the bounce of the ball. more than a try against the run of the game. I think the score may flatter England but they were worth the win no doubt at all.

No excuses from me. Was an excellent win.
Kia I'd rather McCaw has this burning inside him during his sabbatical. Its a physical rest hes having, not a mental one. This will keep him focussed during the period as to exactly why hes taking the break- to avoid this happening when its going to really count in '15.

Its also good seeing Hansen under pressure over the summer- I wouldnt have likes to see him relax thinking it'll all happen again next year. Its the end of his golden weather. Now the hard work begins.

Top job guys! The girl I’m seeing is English, does this mean I don't have to get her an Xmas present? From what I saw of the game (switching over) Manu looks unreal, after the captain he’s the first player on the plane to Oz for the Lions.

Last week I was convinced England were in for a good tonking. As the week went on there were rays of optimism shining out of the England camp and the fans on here seemed wholly optimistic. I guess by the weekend it passed onto me as a neutral. I still didn't think England would win but thought it would be close.
Now, England have a 17 point win over NZ under their belt. Congratulations England, remember this one for years to come. This was one of the best All Black teams I have seen play.

Taylorman wrote:No excuses from me. Was an excellent win.
Kia I'd rather McCaw has this burning inside him during his sabbatical. Its a physical rest hes having, not a mental one. This will keep him focussed during the period as to exactly why hes taking the break- to avoid this happening when its going to really count in '15.

Its also good seeing Hansen under pressure over the summer- I wouldnt have likes to see him relax thinking it'll all happen again next year. Its the end of his golden weather. Now the hard work begins.

I actually think this loss could be a good thing for NZ, will certainly help them focus in the off season.

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:So Happy! Where did that performance come from?



TJ, thanks so much for the link. Wouldn't have missed that for the world!

Just remember it in the future when I call you a one eyed English troll when you criticise the world beating scots

I finally got a prediction right, I knew NZ werent as good as everyone was saying when we played them last week, England were the worst possible team for them today, they nullified the breakdown and took almost every chance they got. The Lions should be based on this team after today, and as for Gatland saying Robhaw shouldnt tour?? What does he know? Why is he Lions coach?

Well done England, whilst we all slag our coaches off maybe some on here will give Lancaster some credit now.

Coleman wrote: Manu looks unreal, after the captain he’s the first player on the plane to Oz for the Lions.

Its the first time I have seen that from him. Today he came of age /lived up to his hype / potential

I agree Taylorman. Question marks will be raised and the memories of this match will haunt them. That's not a bad thing to have that feeling that you're not the world's best. It keeps them grounded and it gets them hungry. Winning is infectious but nobody in this side wants to pick up a habit of losing. That provides focus.

Now England will have their psychology reversed. They have the favourites tag and teams like Scotland, Wales, Ireland want to beat a world beaters side. They have to live up to that expectation. There's a fascinating psychology that comes from winning. A champion side performs on a consistent basis. It's great for England to finish the season on such a high. But they have to come out in February thinking that victory is always earned and not granted before the kick off. They're a young side but this could well be a cornerstone moment if they keep their heads down and focused. Great for world rugby if we see more sides challenging for the top. Let's hope it inspires the rest of the 6N sides who have been under the weather this autumn. It must be motivating one commanding performance and suddenly the world looks completely different.

TJ wrote:

Coleman wrote: Manu looks unreal, after the captain he’s the first player on the plane to Oz for the Lions.

Its the first time I have seen that from him. Today he came of age /lived up to his hype / potential

I didn't see the whole match so i'm looking forward to the highlights at 7. Sometimes he looks like a man vs boys.

Cheers Kia, good analysis. God help France now. I thought that would be a tight series, not so sure now.

It was no so much the power running but he gave some great passes and was in the right place at the right time. Far more than the one dimensional crash ball man he has often been.

I have said for sometime than Tuilagi should be the player England build their team around from what I have read so far it seems to be the way ahead.

I tip my hat to you kiakahaaotearoa for graciousness in defeat. Bit sorry for McCaw to have that labouring on him in his sabatical, he fully deserves a rest, but as Taylorman says it'll probbalyadd that extra bit of bite to his return.

Regarding England, they must use this as a springboard for the next few years, it's clear the building blocks are there, so there's no excuses.

Didn't see the game but that's an incredible result for England, it must have been some performance!

Well done guys, have a on me .

Well done England. Great performance and awesome result.

As a Scotsman, I think Scotland will really have to buck up their ideas if this is whats being served up in the next 6N

Don't get me wrong it hurts halwash. The Hillary Shield should have a dust ring iand arrows pointing at it n the AB trophy cabinet to remind us! But this defeat will hurt the players more. There will inevitably be the media backlash and the idiot brigade who over react.

But when a team plays like that against you and you watch a good game of footy you have to be grateful for the fact that rugby was the winner on the day.

Hood83 wrote:Cheers Kia, good analysis. God help France now. I thought that would be a tight series, not so sure now.

Thats exactly the thinking you need to avoid. So many times a side beats the ABs and it ends up being a one off. Bottling up and reusing what England did today is the challenge and by no means easy. England will be targeted by all sides in the 6N and they need to be able to return to todays form. France have done this often. Beat us then go back and play mediocre in the 6N.

Well done, England. Haven't watched the highlights on BBC4 yet but look forward to watching them. Great win.

Woo hoo. Didn't stream it live but I'm sure as sh!t going to watch the entire game on RugbyDump now.

Nothing but praise for England - everything went right for them.

That result will be good for the All Blacks. Looking forward to reading Rattue's imbecilic mutterings about it.

First half



Second half


Dont say I dont do nothing for you ^^

<stream links removed>

Completely understand kiakahaaotearoa, wouldn't expect anything less regarding pain from the loss for a Kiwi, just applauding your discussion of the game.

I'm sure the next time they meet in the repeat fixture next year the ABs will be utterly brutal.

Once again the stats are interesting http://www.espnscrum.com/new-zealand-tour-2012/rugby/match/153977.html
Much more even than the scoreline Tuilangi stands out in the stats for sure

Taylorman wrote:

Hood83 wrote:Cheers Kia, good analysis. God help France now. I thought that would be a tight series, not so sure now.

Thats exactly the thinking you need to avoid. So many times a side beats the ABs and it ends up being a one off. Bottling up and reusing what England did today is the challenge and by no means easy. England will be targeted by all sides in the 6N and they need to be able to return to todays form. France have done this often. Beat us then go back and play mediocre in the 6N.

well we play whats in front of us, don't we?

on amore serious note, are the All Blacks playing any games prior the france test series? that's seem a long way...

whocares we face you first up after the Super games. So I'm afraid you're first up to feel the wrath. But channelling that challenge into a better performance for you hasn't been exactly difficult for Les Bleus before.

I predicted an England win - £100 at 6/1 makes me a very happy bunny. We were by far the better team - I never saw that coming. I thought we could nick it - but todays performance is the best margin since 1936. An utterly immense result and well deserved. As regards the ref - well, I was a tad bemused at decision on both sides. I watched the game at the Rugby Club and we all were a tad confused - but it worked both ways. England were the better side by a margin.

I have to say, today, farrel proved me wrong and Gladi proved me right. Farrell was very good,not just kicking but with ball in hand. Mike brown was fantastic.

That nz team will be back with a vengeance, some of the rugby for ten minutes after half time was sublime!

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:whocares we face you first up after the Super games. So I'm afraid you're first up to feel the wrath. But channelling that challenge into a better performance for you hasn't been exactly difficult for Les Bleus before.

tough luck I guess - still it is not tomorrow, maybe the ABs will have soften by then and leave us a win amongst a couple of hidings roll on 2013
When is Ritchie back by the way?

Very, very impressed with England today and glad to see them keep northern-hemisphere rugby's reputation up. As a Scot, I'm dreading the Calcutta Cup game down at Twickenham in February. If England play like that again, they'll walk the Six Nations.

What a surprise.

Well done England. Great day to start a new era in English rugby.

The Rugby championship I think. He won't be playing against France though so it will probably be Cane or Vito playing.

Really looking forward to the 3 match series. Perfect timing for the tour. France have looked convincing and will be champing at the bit from the World Cup final to prove a thing or two. So both sides not exactly lacking in motivation and both sides look impressive in their overall team. So a Lions series and a France NZ 3 match series. Couldn't ask for better rugby viewing. Lucky I live in the NH and have skiing / boarding as the season looks good. Already resorts are opening in Spain this week. Then the 6N and Super 15. You really never have a long break from rugby. I love this sport!

rodders wrote:Didn't see the game but that's an incredible result for England, it must have been some performance!

Well done guys, have a on me .

Already on it?

From one disappointed Welshman to my England friends. Very well done. That was the best England performance for a decade. Very deserved win.

offload wrote:From one disappointed Welshman to my England friends. Very well done. That was the best England performance for a decade. Very deserved win.

offload wrote:From one disappointed Welshman to my England friends. Very well done. That was the best England performance for a decade. Very deserved win.

it really was. Cheers

should be a lively old 6n next year.

Taylorman wrote:

Hood83 wrote:Cheers Kia, good analysis. God help France now. I thought that would be a tight series, not so sure now.

Thats exactly the thinking you need to avoid. So many times a side beats the ABs and it ends up being a one off. Bottling up and reusing what England did today is the challenge and by no means easy. England will be targeted by all sides in the 6N and they need to be able to return to todays form. France have done this often. Beat us then go back and play mediocre in the 6N.

I meant God help them playing you guys, and less so in a 'well the ABs always bounce back, and we can't expect NH teams to beat them regularly' ...i understand that's a defeatist attitude, and why the ABs have been so successful against us all. But it's also the reality that ALL the top teams seem to respond to being beaten.

Less a reflection on our attitude, more a compliment on yours. I would also argue that bottling up what we did today is not what the ABs would do after a win, or why you guys are successful. I think you guys win so much because each game is treated as a unique event. Just my personal take on it though.

screamingaddabs wrote:I have to say, today, farrel proved me wrong and Gladi proved me right. Farrell was very good,not just kicking but with ball in hand. Mike brown was fantastic.

That nz team will be back with a vengeance, some of the rugby for ten minutes after half time was sublime!

Have to say i haven't watched all the game yet, but i'm guessing I need to eat some humble pie and go and apologise to Beshocked!

Though in my defence, i thought Burns did well when he came on as well.

Can't fault England's display. For the first time in my 32 years I have witnessed NZ get blown away at our own game (in the end). I honestly thought we were into normal transmission coming back to 15-14 but Tuilagi, for all my prior thoughts and criticisms about him, had a blinder and made Smith look poor at times (not the only one)

England played with enterprise, never thought I'd ever say that.

It could have been a massive spanking, fair play to NZ who kept coming back when given the chance which was very rare.

England played a blinder and in doing so, have created their own template for future performances. I don't doubt NZ will come back stronger but that's for another day. I'm more than happy to let England bask in this for as long as they want, they played the game the right way and got the result they deserved.

Well done

Very well played England. Easily the best team on the day

Congrats to England very good performance but it was a little awkward to watch at times and I couldn't help but feel for the AB's!!

Great win for England and very proud of the performance!

Never been happier to have been proven wrong about some players.

Many players who have shown glimpses finally came together for the full performance. The forward performance especially I thought was exceptional. NZ are the best team in the world at getting quick ball time after time and today a very inexperienced pack slowed that ball and turned them over time after time.

The important thing for the side now is to carry that performance into the Aviva Prem and then the 6N. Big day for an inexperienced side though.

thebluesmancometh wrote:Congrats to England very good performance but it was a little awkward to watch at times and I couldn't help but feel for the AB's!!

Er - why? They hardly display compassion to others. That said - they weren't at their best - but they weren't allowed to be. In the words of Cpl Jones - They don't like it up'em