New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams, gets past a tackle from England’s Mike Brown during their international rugby union match at Twickenham stadium, London on Nov. 8.Alastair Grant/The Associated Press
New Zealand defeated England 24-21 on Saturday, bossing a home side that's desperate to make Twickenham a fortress heading toward the Rugby World Cup it will host in 10 months.
Instead, the All Blacks added to their aura with a news flash of their own: It was their sixth win in seven matches on England's turf in the last decade, and they will feel right at home when they come back to defend the Cup.
The All Blacks were set back by an unexpectedly strong start by England, playing its first test in five months, but the visitors gradually took charge, took the lead for good in the 46th minute, and squeezed the life out of England in the second half, despite a yellow card and heavy rain.
There wasn't the flash and dash New Zealand fans are accustomed to. Instead, it played smart, patient, textbook rugby in scoring three tries, and making only four goalkicks, half its shots.
Not until reserve prop Charlie Faumuina burrowed over from a ruck after 22 phases to make it 24-14 with nine minutes to go were the All Blacks safe on the scoreboard, but the match was already in the palm of their hands.
By then, they'd overturned all of the statistics in which they were in deficit in the first half: Possession, territory, line breaks, penalties conceded, tackles.
England had barely touched New Zealand's half in the second spell when the rain began and hooker Dane Coles was sin-binned for retaliating at opposite Dylan Hartley. But thanks to wise substitutions and savvy leadership, the All Blacks almost scored two tries and missed a penalty in front of the posts. When Coles returned, his teammates had won the period 3-0.
They then constructed a try of awesome ease, with phase after phase, to put in Faumuina, and put a fifth straight win over England to bed.
England finished as it started, with a try, but the penalty try off a wheeled scrum in the dying moments merely flattered the scoreline.