Beauden Barrett inspires All Blacks fightback to beat England and win series
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New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett running with the ball during the second rugby Test match between New Zealand and England at Eden Park in Auckland on July 13.
PHOTO: AFP
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AUCKLAND – Beauden Barrett came off the bench to inspire a New Zealand fightback on July 13, as the All Blacks came from behind in the second half to beat England 24-17 and claim the series 2-0 in Auckland.
Wing Mark Tele’a scored two tries, one per half, and Damian McKenzie slotted four penalties as the All Blacks survived a scare for the second week in a row as they kept their 30-year unbeaten record at Eden Park intact.
Just like in the 16-15 first Test win at Dunedin, New Zealand had to wrestle back the lead after half-time from Steve Borthwick’s spirited young England side.
“Hugely proud of the boys to hold on and win the arm wrestle and finish off a good performance,” said New Zealand captain Scott Barrett, one of the three brothers in the squad.
“Test matches certainly challenge your character and we had to dig deep there, right till the last minute.”
England coach Borthwick was full of praise for his new-look side, who pushed the All Blacks all the way in both Tests.
“Immense effort and rightly proud. Team is progressing and we still have work to do but we have taken a step forward,” he said.
“You can’t buy experience. We are a young side. They have around 300 caps more than us.”
Fly-half Marcus Smith had an outstanding first half as he led the visitors to a 14-13 half-time lead.
Two pin-point cross-field kicks created tries for wings Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Smith also made a try-saving interception.
But playmaker Barrett came off the bench to swing the momentum back to the All Blacks.
The 33-year-old set up Tele’a’s second try before McKenzie landed two penalties.
“It was just the small moments. Eden Park is a historic place and we had the belief we could do something special,” Smith told Sky Sports.
“It was probably the small moments – a touch at the breakdown, a few wrong decisions on the edges from myself – that turned the tie in the All Blacks’ favour.
“On another day we get the result here or the result last week.”
“I think we’re a significantly better team than when we started,” added England captain Jamie George.
“There’s hugely exciting times ahead for this English team.”
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson, meanwhile, hailed twice world player of the year Barrett, whose running and kicking relieved the pressure on the All Blacks before he unpicked the England defence for the second Tele’a try.
“He’s a world-class footballer,” Robertson said. “He’s been great around the team and on the field he just confirmed how good he is to us.”
Over in Melbourne, a resurgent Wallabies earned their first back-to-back Test wins since 2021 with a hard-fought 36-28 victory over Wales, who extended their horror run to nine straight defeats.
Filipo Daugunu scored twice, with Jake Gordon and Allan Alaalatoa also crossing on a wet and cold Melbourne night to back up their 25-16 triumph in Sydney a week earlier.
At Yurtec Stadium Sendai, Japan were upset 25-23 by Georgia, thanks to a late converted try by Giorgi Javakhia.
A day earlier, Duhan van der Merwe scored a record-equalling 27th international try, as Scotland romped past the United States 42-7 at Audi Field in Washington. AFP
