England 22-24 New Zealand: Steve Borthwick's side snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against the All Blacks after final quarter collapse and George Ford's missed late penalty England suffered defeat to New Zealand in first of their autumn internationals Hosts were leading at Twickenham before All Blacks prevailed in dramatic finish By Nik Simon Published: 18:34, 2 November 2024 | Updated: 18:36, 2 November 2024 e-mail View comments The right post will rattle right through George Ford ’s nightmares. England brought on their old gun-slinger to carry them through the final quarter but the plan back-fired as his 79th minute penalty struck the woodwork and victory reverberated into defeat. For Steve Borthwick , it was another case of so near yet so far.
This was his best chance of landing a big scalp in the autumn series but victory, once again, belonged to the All Blacks . England were leading by two scores going into the final quarter when they pulled off Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith. It felt like a declaration – backing themselves to hold on, rather than double down for the big kill – and ultimately it did not pay off.
It welcomed the All Blacks back into the game, handing the fans a helter-skelter finale that played into Kiwi hands. New Zealand were up against the ropes before Smith’s departure. Their striking black jerseys used to feel like coats of armour but this was not a vintage side.
These days, the jersey feels the yellow and green Brazilian football kit –.