All Blacks prove a class above
By Ben Sullivan
Last Updated: 01/01/70 1:00am
England crashed to a sixth straight defeat, losing 41-20 to New Zealand.
England crashed to a sixth straight defeat as New Zealand confirmed their status as World Cup favourites with a record-breaking 41-20 victory at Twickenham.
The 21-point losing margin was England's worst loss on home soil - surpassing their 29-11 defeat by South Africa nine years ago - and 41 is also an all-time highest points total for a visiting team at Twickenham.
England were comprehensively outplayed at the breakdown and New Zealand were absolutely clinical in turning their hosts' mistakes into tries, but the world champions could also point to a degree of bad luck.
Jamie Noon was denied what looked a perfectly legitimate early try which would have given England the lead and could have been the platform to at least ruffle the All Blacks. Martin Corry's side probably would not have won anyway, but that does not excuse a decision which baffled almost all of the 82,000 inside Twickenham.
And at least England showed some creativity in attack and ran in three tries - in fact despite the larger margin of defeat, England's performance arguably contained more positives than last autumn's frustrating 23-19 defeat.
But this New Zealand team - indeed the entire squad - oozes quality and they were at least one class above their hosts when it came to finishing off their opportunities.
In Dan Carter they also have the world's best fly-half - by a distance. The Canterbury 10 scored 26 of New Zealand's points, including a sublime individual try that ended England's faint hopes of a second-half comeback.
England started poorly and gifted Carter an early three points for hands in the ruck, but they exploded into life after four minutes as quick ball and crisp passing sent Jamie Noon crashing over on the left flank.
The centre's decision not to ship the ball out one further time looked to be justified, but the video referee ruled a New Zealand hand might have been under the ball; five-metre scrum and Ben Cohen was unable to collect Charlie Hodgson's cross-field kick.
It was a let-off for the All Blacks and Carter quickly made England pay, doubling the lead after an offside.
England actually dominated posession and territory for much of the contest but it was the All Blacks' ability to strike from anywhere - particualrly from turnover ball - which separated the teams.
And so it proved on 21 minutes as Rico Gear's brilliant footwork inside his own half shattered the defensive line, the ball was recycled almost indecently quickly and skipper Richie McCaw sent Aaron Mauger over to score unopposed.
Carter added the extras from the left touchline but to their credit England refused to panic and hit back on 29 minutes with a set move off the back of a scrum.
It was designed to send Iain Balshaw over but the ball went behind the full-back only to pop off the turf into the arms of Noone and the centre showed impressive pace to beat the cover defence. This time the referee could find no reason to call on video assistance and England were back in the game.
But it was to prove a false dawn. Carter quickly stretched the lead after England were pinged for hands in the ruck and two tries in the last three minutes of the half effectively settled the contest.
First Anthony Allen - who endured a pretty miserable debut - telegraphed a long pass which Joe Rocokoco gratefully accepted and the winger raced 60 metres to score.
Worse was to follow on the last play of the half with time expired. England were attacking on the right but Lewis Moody dropped the ball and the All Blacks' lightning counter-attack kicked into life. Rocokoco broke down the left wing, the ball went through seven pairs of hands on its way to the opposite flank and Chris Jack put Carl Hayman in at the corner.
England started the second half strongly and after forcing a line-out on the New Zealand five metre line, the ball went through the hands to the left wing where Ben Cohen had the space to dive over for his 31st international try.
Hodgson missed a penalty from in front of the posts that would have brought England to within two scores and Carter missed his first kick at goal on 53 minutes when Moody was penalised for going in at the side.
But the fly-half made immediate amends from the re-start, gliding through the defensive line, shrugging off Allen's weak attempt at a tackle and trotting over unopposed.
England hit back on the hour from a rare All Blacks mistake, Mauger's attempt to chip over the top going straight into Shaun Perry's arms and the scrum-half raced 70 metres to score a debut try.
That reduced the deficit to 35-17 and when Chris Masoe was sin-binned for killing the ball in front of the New Zealand posts on 64 minutes and Hodgson knocked over the penalty, England had hopes of at least forcing a rousing climax. But it was New Zealand who finished the stronger despite being a man short, with Carter slotting two further penalties.
A 21-point margin was a fairly accurate reflection of the gap in class between the two teams. The worrying thing for England - and the other nations with an eye on succeeding them as world champions - is that New Zealand hinted they are still improving themselves.
