Let's kick off with some good news. The Twickenham experience has been a slightly variable one in recent years, but the vibe inside the now-retitled stadium on Saturday was a considerable improvement. A deep rumbling bass shook the concrete stands, adding to the thunderous feel of the whole occasion. And broadcasting the referee's musings over the public address – why has that taken so long? – was unquestionably a welcome development, too.
The positives do not stop there. What a dramatic endgame it was. And how skillfully New Zealand prised open the coffin lid having seemed all but dead and buried. If the match-turning try by Mark Tele'a with four minutes left was a stunning intervention, what about the towering touchline conversion from Damian McKenzie which ended up separating the two teams? How good was Wallace Sititi? This was not a match defined wholly by missed opportunities.
At some stage, though, England will have to stop hiding behind lessons and learning curves and face a few home truths. Starting with their late, late defeat against South Africa in the World Cup semi-final last year, they have now endured a succession of hard-luck stories in which they have either relinquished a second-half lead or missed clear chances to win. Once is unfortunate. Four times in their past five Tests – against France and now thrice against the All Blacks – hints at other underlying problems.
Denne historien er fra November 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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