England play the All Blacks in a two-test tour this summer season, the staff’s first journey to New Zealand since 2014. It comes nearly 120 years after the primary check between the 2 nations.
The primary got here on 2nd of December 1905, and was performed out in entrance of a file crowd of fifty,000 at Crystal Palace, coming through the All Blacks’ maiden tour exterior Australasia.
They gained 15-0, persevering with their legendary 35-game, 34-win, 151-day romp of the been something however black and white UK, Eire, France and USA with a squad that includes 4 Payments and two Billys. It established the All Blacks’ place as rugby’s staff to beat – one thing that England have solely managed on eight events, not forgetting a few attracts. We’ve chosen a dozen of the most effective England-New Zealand clashes…
Associated: See the complete England squad for the Summer time Tour towards New Zealand
England 38 – 21 New Zealand: 2012, Twickenham
Manu Tuilagi runs previous Richie McCaw throughout England vs New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium (Photograph by Matthew Lewis – RFU/The RFU Assortment by way of Getty Photos)
One of many biggest England performances ever witnessed by a Twickenham crowd – and towards the reigning world champions. Owen Farrell’s opening 15 factors from the boot had been shortly cancelled out by tries from Julian Savea and Kieran Learn, bringing that spectre of inevitable All Blacks victory to solid its shadow over TW2 as soon as extra.
Enter Manu Tuilagi, who produced a real ‘man v boys’ efficiency, establishing a Chris Ashton strive with a carving midfield break earlier than waltzing over for his personal rating. It secured one of many uncommon highlights of Stuart Lancaster’s teaching tenure.
New Zealand 10 – 16 England: 1973, Eden Park
England rugby gamers arriving at Heathrow Airport from New Zealand, London, UK, 18th September 1973. (Getty Photos)
New Zealand has by no means been a contented searching floor for England, with solely two wins in 15 makes an attempt. The primary of these got here on this 1973 fixture when Bristol’s John Pullin captained a touring aspect that included flying Lions winger David Duckham and a younger prop referred to as Fran Cotton. Experiences from the time credit score the late Jan Webster because the distinction, the Moseley scrum-half later recalling the Take a look at showcasing “prehistoric rugby and fabulous sideburns”. Grainy YouTube highlights show Webster is not any liar!
This quick tour of New Zealand and Fiji solely happened as a alternative journey to a proposed inaugural sequence with Argentina that was cancelled due to terror threats.
England 6 – 32 New Zealand: 2008, Twickenham
Ma’a Nonu scores for New Zealand towards England; Twickenham, 2008 (Getty Photos)
England had nearly as many sin-bins (4) as they’d factors on the board. Fact be advised, New Zealand weren’t even at their finest right here, solely actually shifting into second gear within the closing quarter with two tries from Mils Muliaina and one from Ma’a Nonu.
With three back-to-back losses at HQ – the earlier week being a file dwelling defeat to South Africa – this fixture rounded off a tepid season which fell slap bang in the midst of what might be described as England’s wilderness years. The sport additionally noticed New Zealand full a 3rd dwelling nations Grand Slam – and a second in three years – whereas additionally ending their tour with out conceding a strive.
Associated: watch England vs New Zealand this Summer time Tour
England 26 – 26 New Zealand: 1997, Twickenham
England coach Clive Woodward celebrates throughout All Blacks match at Twickenham (David Rogers/Allsport)
The bookies had England out at 20-1 for victory on this 1997 match-up, a punt that nearly got here in. England raced right into a 23-9 lead on the break because of tries by Richard Hill, David Rees and captain Lawrence Dallaglio. Nonetheless, as is so usually the case, New Zealand hit again.
Walter Little and Andrew Mehrtens led the comeback cost to nudge the All Blacks forward. It was left to Paul Grayson, with a penalty 9 minutes from time, to claw a draw that Dallaglio stated earned “a variety of respect” for the brand new aspect constructed by Clive Woodward.
New Zealand 45 – 29 England: 1995, Newlands
New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu towards England Newlands in Cape City (VINCENT AMALVY/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
The sport that gave us Jonah Lomu. As he trampled over poor Mike Catt for that opening strive, a celebrity was born and the game of rugby modified eternally. It was a second that made commentators gasp, prompted England captain Will Carling to plead with the 118kg winger to “go away” and created an icon that transcended the rugby subject.
Lomu scored 4 instances that day in a efficiency so good you nearly overlook that Kiwi No 8 Zinzan Brooke slotted a drop-goal from midway. Carling and Rory Underwood, with two tries apiece, regained some respectability.
England 16 – 26 New Zealand: 2010, Twickenham
England’s Centre Mike Tindall will get tackled by New Zealand’s Prop Tony Woodcock (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
New Zealand’s fourth and most up-to-date dwelling nations Grand Slam got here 14 years in the past when a Richie McCaw-led aspect obtained issues off to a flying begin towards a spirited England staff. The house aspect confirmed tenacity, with plaudits going to the scrummaging prowess of 23-year-old Dan Cole, profitable what was simply his eighth cap.
Nonetheless, the pace and guile proven by the likes of Dan Carter, Sonny Invoice Williams and Hosea Gear proved an excessive amount of for a younger England aspect. “What value us in the long run was an incapacity to start out on the identical tempo and tempo they did,” stated England boss Martin Johnson.
England 31 – 28 New Zealand: 2002, Twickenham
England’s Jonny Wilkinson towards New Zealand at Twickenham, (Photograph by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
Come for the show-and-go by James Simpson-Daniel, keep for Jonny Wilkinson’s completely weighted chip-and-chase strive. In entrance of a bouncing dwelling crowd, England secured solely their fifth-ever victory towards New Zealand because of a fly-half masterclass from Wilkinson through which he scored 21 factors, the superbly taken strive simply after the half being the cherry on prime. Lewis Moody and Ben Cohen additionally obtained on the scoresheet but it surely was Wilkinson’s high quality solo efficiency that made the headlines.
Associated: watch England vs New Zealand this Summer time Tour
New Zealand coach John Mitchell referred to as him “excellent” and England’s Clive Woodward labelled him one of many “nice gamers on the earth”. “This was the day we stated, ‘We’re the highest staff on the earth’,” Josh Lewsey stated. “It was a large transformation from which we constructed for the subsequent few years.”
This was additionally the final time through which the late Jonah Lomu crossed the try-line in an All Blacks jersey, with two trademark barrelling tries. Two video games later, he hung up his worldwide boots on account of an ever-worsening kidney situation.
England 12 – 18 New Zealand: 1991, Twickenham
England v New Zealand, Mike Teague of England passes the ball out of a maul. (Photograph by Mark Leech/Getty Photos)
Though the 1991 World Cup was hosted throughout 5 nations, the staging of the ultimate at Twickenham offered a way of anticipation for an England aspect that had secured a Grand Slam that 12 months and had been being touted by some as favourites.
Issues, nonetheless, obtained off to a rocky begin when the opening recreation noticed the defending champions take the spoils courtesy of Grant Fox’s boot and a Michael Jones strive off a scrum transfer. “We had been nervous and disappointing,” stated England wing Simon Halliday.
New Zealand 36 – 12 England: 2004, Eden Park
New Zealand prop Carl Hayman after taking part in England (Getty Photos)
Lower than a 12 months on from profitable the World Cup, depleted England discovered themselves again within the doldrums of yet one more whitewash Down Underneath with two defeats to New Zealand and a whipping by the Wallabies.
This recreation was determined by a purple card for Simon Shaw within the tenth minute. It created an imbalance that was exploited by an electrical back-line that includes Carlos Spencer and Dan Carter within the ten-12 pivot and Joe Rokocoko wreaking havoc from the wing – he scored a hat-trick.
New Zealand 7 – 19 England: 2019, Yokohama
England vs New Zealand on the 2019 Rugby World Cup (Getty Photos)
From the Sébastien Chabal staredown to David Campese’s dead-ball antics, iconic responses to the haka have usually entered the folklore of rugby – and the 2019 World Cup semi-final in Japan is not any completely different. From the second Owen Farrell led his staff into that controversial V formation in response to the haka, a ploy that resulted in a £2,000 high quality, we knew we had a recreation on our fingers.
Associated: watch England vs New Zealand this Summer time Tour
It preceded a gloriously dominant show from England through which they stifled New Zealand’s potent assault of any life and walked away as convincing victors. England would come unstuck within the closing towards South Africa however this efficiency lives lengthy within the reminiscence.
New Zealand 64 – 22 England: 1998, Carisbrook
All Black Captain Taine Randell v England, 20 June 1998 at Carisbrrok Park, Dunedin. (Photograph by Ross Land/Getty Photos)
It’s laborious to withstand a reference to the aptly named ‘Tour of Hell’. After a 76-0 annihilation by the Wallabies, England continued their trudge in neighbouring New Zealand. Issues went from dangerous to worse with losses to NZ A, a NZ Rugby Academy aspect and NZ Maori to go alongside two routs by the All Blacks.
In fact, the defeat in Dunedin was fairly unremarkable – save for a Danny Grewcock purple card and Josh Lewsey Take a look at debut – but it surely’s the broader influence this tour had on the subsequent 5 years of English rugby that sees it make the reduce.
New Zealand 12 – 15 England: 2003, Wellington
England gamers Lawrence Dallaglio, Steve Thompson and Joe Worsley have a good time victory towards New Zealand (Photograph by David Rogers/Getty Photos)
The match was tied at 6-all simply after the half, Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Again had been within the bin, New Zealand had been calling for scrum after scrum a kitten’s whisker away from the try-line. It was right here that the sport was gained.
England’s seven-man scrum (with Mike Tindall as short-term ahead) grew to become as robust as spider’s silk, resisting wave after wave of All Black pushover onslaught and ultimately incomes a penalty to clear their strains following a Rodney So’oialo double motion. England’s watertight defence whereas all the way down to 13 crushed the All Blacks’ morale, and Jonny Wilkinson’s boot secured the touring aspect an historic win.
This stays the one event on which England have taken back-to-back victories towards New Zealand and it solidified their standing as favourites for that 12 months’s World Cup.
This text initially featured in Challenge 300 of Rugby World.
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