Marcus Smith's score, Mark Telea decisive, Ford's failure and the noise during the haka… the highs and lows of the All Blacks' victory in England
TOPS
Marcus Smith did everything right
How can we not think of his performance despite England's defeat against the Blacks this Saturday (22-24). Facing one of the masters in the field in the person of Beauden Barrett, the young Englishman turned all eyes on him with a top-notch performance. Imperial against the poles with a 5/5 which kept his team in the match, he was especially at the initiative of the interception and a 50 meter race at the origin of Feyi-Waboso's try. Brilliant in animation and always fair in his choices, like an excellent 50-22, he would have deserved another end to this meeting to crown his performance. Invested in defense with 7 successful tackles for only one missed, he beat 3 defenders and covered 78 meters with the ball in hand.
Wallace Sititi has all the makings of a great
Alongside players like Ardie Savea and Sam Cane, it is necessarily easier to learn for a third row like Wallace Sititi (5 caps). But his performance today confirmed that this young talent (22 years old) already had everything to be part of the world's elite in his position. If he can jump into touch as well as be solid in defense (100% tackles, 9/9), Wallace Sititi remains above all an excellent ball carrier. With 3 crossings and 80 meters covered, he constantly put his team forward while allowing himself to show his technical palette with a superb pass after contact on Telea's first try. Logically elected man of the match.
Mark Telea again and always X factor
He is already much better known despite only 17 caps with the Blacks. It must be said that with his 12 tries scored, he has already left his mark on more than one defense on the planet. And this Saturday, as he did last July against these same Englishmen, the Blues player did it again by scoring another double. His try scored three minutes from time by dropping Georges Ford and resisting the returns of two Englishmen gave victory to New Zealand. He was also clean in defense (6/6) but above all remains the man of results.
FLOPS
George Ford could have been the hero
The regrets must be immense for him. When he came into play, England led by 8 points (22-14) and his experience should allow his team to manage a tense end to the match. In the end, quite the opposite happened. Already, it is he who loses his duel against Telea on the last New Zealand try. But above all, while he could have offered victory to his team, he first found the post on a penalty 40 meters to the right of the poles in the 77th minute, before missing his drop on the siren and destroying all the hopes of the 80,000 spectators at Twickenham.
The Blacks touch
Disturbed by the premature change of Codie Taylor, the incumbent at hooker suffering from a concussion, the All Blacks sideline found itself in difficulty this Saturday and prevented the New Zealanders from developing their game on several occasions. Very mobile in the game, the replacement Asafo Aumua did not ensure his throws with 4 lost touches. The melee, also punished several times in the first half, corrected the situation in the second half, when the English coach changed his two pillars. But the conquest of the Blacks could have cost them victory.
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Rugby: in video, the All Blacks haka under the “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” sung by Twickenham
Twickenham didn't want the haka
It's a topic that has occupied both camps this week: Joe Marler's criticism of the haka. The English player then apologized but the damage was done and everyone was waiting to see the Blacks' haka at Twickenham. And as the New Zealanders took their positions, the 80,000 spectators began to sing the “Swing Low, Swing Chariot” and never stopped throughout the protocol. A somewhat regrettable event as this moment was awaited and the intensity of the face-to-face between the two teams would have deserved cathedral silence.
