ASPIRATIONS to ashes. England’s attempts to drag some kind of consolation win from a series that was already lost were scattered all around the Waikato stadium last night — strewn around because of their failings in the first half, when they gave the All Blacks the freedom of Hamilton.
England’s midfield has been a disaster area ever since the 2003 team broke up and while things are now much better in terms of available personnel, the search for that outstanding combination is still not bearing fruit. Kyle Eastmond was chosen yesterday after a very poor season and a one-off performance in the first Test. He was never likely to hold up and the All Blacks poured through the gaps that he and England left. The hosts scored four tries by half-time and blew two more chances that were so beautifully gift-wrapped that the ball had ribbons on it.
There was a biting edge of catastrophe about almost everything that England did, and if there is one team who need no second invitation to cash in on weakness, then it is New Zealand. Their run of 17 consecutive victories equals the world record and at half-time you simply could not imagine them being beaten.
But the odd thing about them is that, in many ways, they are one-dimensional, even if that dimension is exceptional. In the second half, England lifted themselves and despite their exhaustion at the end of a brutal season they managed to draw 7-7. However, the All Blacks just do not have the power to play on a narrow front. They tried to drive England in the mauls and got almost nowhere. Because England’s defence tightened up with Eastmond banished at half-time, New Zealand descended into chaos themselves, trying to whizz the ball around off the back foot, making errors.
The truth is that at the end of this series England have failed to establish their credentials as outstanding contenders for the World Cup next year. But despite the brilliance of the All Blacks in periods of every game, they will not strike anyone around the world as being unbeatable either. It was a terrific series but nothing truly terrifying was on view.
For England, there was consolation to be found in Ben Youngs, who played with such courage and sharpness at scrum-half that he gave his side an attacking weapon. Marland Yarde, one horrendous mis-tackle apart, at least gave England hope that their sad dearth of class wings could be coming to an end. Elsewhere, David Wilson and the English scrum held on superbly, and the likes of Rob Webber, Kieran Brookes, Luther Burrell — who was rather erratic — and especially the gifted Danny Cipriani gave England a boost when they arrived full of beans from the bench.
Yet England were murdered at the breakdown and when New Zealand shifted easily up through the gears, the visitors found yet again that they do not have enough players who can get in over the ball to steal it, or at least to slow it down. Freddie Burns mis-hit the first kick-off, missed an early penalty and struggled on the night. Above all, this England side — seemingly selected at random — did not have the freshness and sharpness of the glorious Ben Smith at full-back, Aaron Smith at scrum-half, or finishing power to touch that of Julian Savea on the wing.
England’s opening passages of play were too bad to even be called catastrophic and Savea opened the scoring when England left almost the whole of the midfield unguarded. Aaron Smith picked up a loose ball with alacrity and Ben Smith sent Savea to snipe his way over in style.
Soon after, New Zealand withdrew Richie McCaw to the fly-half position after they had won out a lineout. He put Aaron Cruden through such a cavernous gap in the midfield that Cruden must have felt lonely. He put Savea over and later in the half, Aaron Smith scored after Cory Jane had stepped inside a very poor tackle attempt from Yarde.
It could have been worse. If Savea had only held his run a touch, then Ben Smith would have put him over for a hat-trick inside 13 minutes, but the pass was forward. Soon after, Dane Coles could not get away his pass to the outstanding Aaron Smith with an easy two-to-one play inside him. It was 29-6 at half time, but it could quite easily have been 40 to the All Blacks.
After that, New Zealand were pretty much shut down. They lost momentum and kept trying to play their first-half game, but this time they did not have the ammunition. Neither Cruden nor Beauden Barrett is any great shakes when not on the front foot, and even Savea started dropping the ball. England showed real courage and they scored early on when Yarde crossed after some excellent driving involving the splendid Ben Youngs, Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes and there were a few other half-chances that could have brought the score back to within bounds.
Yet England conceded the last word to their lords and masters. They were given a penalty with the clock dead. Granted, they were duty-bound to make an effort to score, but not duty-bound to make such an utter pig’s ear of it. They took a tap penalty, and in a move that started with incoherence and only got worse, they coughed up the ball so that Savea could go over for his hat-trick.
It was a sign that this England team still makes poor decisions, and was also the epitaph on a series where New Zealand were too clever and too good. The All Blacks have lost just three of their previous 66 home games so there is no shame in being beaten by them. But England are a team with high hopes, and they have been cruelly dashed.
