Let’s start with some positive news. The Twickenham experience has had its ups and downs in recent years, but the atmosphere inside the newly renamed stadium on Saturday was a significant improvement. The deep rumbling bass shook the concrete stands, enhancing the thunderous feel of the entire event. Broadcasting the referee’s thoughts over the public address system—why has that taken so long?—was undoubtedly a welcome addition. The positives don’t end there. What a dramatic finish it was. And how skillfully New Zealand managed to turn the tide when they seemed all but defeated. If Mark Tele’a’s match-turning try with four minutes left was a stunning intervention, Damian McKenzie’s towering touchline conversion that ultimately decided the game was equally impressive. How good was Wallace Sititi? This match was not just about missed opportunities.
However, at some point, England will need to stop hiding behind lessons and learning curves and confront some harsh realities. Starting with their late defeat against South Africa in the World Cup semi-final last year, they have endured a series of hard-luck stories where they either lost a second-half lead or missed clear chances to win. Once is unfortunate, but four times in their last five Tests—against France and now three times against the All Blacks—suggests underlying issues. It’s harsh, perhaps, when a potential match-winning kick hits the woodwork, but dwelling on what-ifs isn’t how elite professional sport works. England is finding numerous ways to finish second every week. Ultimately, the scoreboard rarely lies: when the moment of truth arrives, England is not passing the test.
It’s easy to say in hindsight, but if England had stayed calmer, waited for another phase, restored some order, and given George Ford a bit more time and space to slot his drop goal, the postmortem could have been very different. But they didn’t. Harry Randall’s pass was too high and floaty, and there were few signs of collective composure. It’s also worth noting that Marcus Smith and Ben Spencer were both taken off when England was 22-14 up and largely in control. It’s even more sobering to consider that, when you aggregate the final half hours of their last three Tests, England has managed just three points in those 90 minutes. Give or take a questionable refereeing call here and there, that’s never going to be enough to swing big games. It also raises broader questions: are England in danger of developing some kind of mental block?
Australia might even quietly fancy their chances this Saturday if they can compete strongly in the air, play to space, and scrummage hard for 80 minutes. There’s also a slight disconnect between how many England players attack for their clubs and the different gameplan they pursue with the national side. Their only try at the weekend came via an interception, and they might not have been in the game at the end if New Zealand hadn’t missed a couple of first-half chances they really should have taken. Saturday was a slightly awkward day to have a reunion parade for England’s 2003 World Cup-winning squad. They knew a lot about late winning drop goals, and Sir Clive Woodward couldn’t resist a post-match swipe at his successor Steve Borthwick’s second-half substitutions, describing them as “absolute madness” and a “decisive mistake” in his Sunday newspaper column, writing: “Coaching at international level is about feel. It is not a simple game of mathematics.”
In other words, if Smith is England’s main man, he needs to be trusted to finish the job. Routinely hauling off the captain after 50-odd minutes doesn’t seem to be helping much, either. The players still cling to the belief that good things will come to those who wait. “I’m quite religious so I believe that when the time is right it’ll happen,” Smith said. “Whether that be next week, the week after, two years, five years, who knows?“It’s not a coincidence that people win towards the end. Dan Carter played in his first World Cup final at 33. Usain Bolt, in his first Olympics in 2004, didn’t get out of the group stages. It’s part and parcel of growing up as a young player … the experiences we’re experiencing now are very painful but we’ll be better for them moving forward.” Maro Itoje, one of England’s most effective performers, is also convinced the tide will turn sooner rather than later. “I think we are very close,” the Saracens forward said, doing his best to boost the collective mood. “We have to lick our wounds and take our medicine at the moment but this team is building in a positive direction.”
Maybe, but as on the summer tour, this was another result shaped by a couple of costly scrum penalties and a relative lack of bench impact. Blaming inexperience is tough when Dan Cole has the small matter of 116 caps, even if the timing of Joe Marler’s retirement announcement doesn’t obviously help. Borthwick could decide to retain his starting XV against the Wallabies, but he needs some fresh energy from somewhere.
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