The All Blacks secured a hard-fought 24-17 victory over England at Eden Park on Saturday, clinching the Steinlager Ultra Low Carb series.
Despite struggling for fluidity throughout the game, the All Blacks displayed moments of brilliance, notably through Beauden Barrett’s dynamic play and a decisive call of obstruction against England’s Ollie Lawrence at a crucial goal-line maul.
Barrett’s magic was instrumental in the final quarter, where New Zealand overturned a 17-13 lead by the visitors, ultimately holding firm to prevent England’s last-minute attempts to score through a lineout maul.
England dominated possession with a 63-37 advantage and utilised cross kicks effectively, leading to two tries from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman.
However the All Blacks’ robust defense, with an 88% tackling success rate, thwarted England’s relentless attacks.
Key plays included Rieko Ioane’s early try, sparked by Codie Taylor’s quick tap penalty, and Barrett’s setup for Tele’a’s second try. Despite some frustrating errors, the All Blacks managed to capitalise on England’s mistakes and maintained defensive pressure to secure the win, marking a strong start for new coach Scott Robertson as they prepare to face Fiji next.
