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Sat 21 Jun 2014 | 06:17
New Zealand complete series whitewash as Savea gets hat-trick vs England

26
Comments

New Zealand completed a 3-0 whitewash of England as they stormed to a 36-13 victory in Hamilton on Saturday. The damage was done in the first half as the All Blacks shot out to a 29-6 lead, but England held on to limit the damage in the second half.

Wing Julian Savea, who has now scored as many tries as he has played Test matches, picked up a stunning hat-trick, scoring two of his three tries in what can only be described as a first half hiding.

The All Blacks were in devastating mood as they exposed England's defensive patterns and scored tries without too much trouble. Both Savea and scrumhalf Aaron Smith scored two in the first half, before Savea completed his hat-trick with time up, as they chose not to kick the ball out.

England's tour complexion now looks a little worse than it did a week ago, when they still felt they were improving and had a lot to build on. Perhaps that is still the case but the ease in which they were torn apart in the first half would be worrying. They fronted up in the second period though, showing great heart and keeping the hosts scoreless right up until the final play of the game.

Marlan Yarde's second half try gave the visitors some hope and steadied the sinking ship, but the cool heads of the World Champions steered them to yet another victory at home. The last time they lost there was in 2009, to South Africa.

The All Blacks have now equalled the [top-tier] record for most consecutive wins in Test rugby, with 17 on the trot. They join the All Blacks of 1965-69 and the Springboks of 1997-98 who jointly hold the record. A win over the Wallabies in Sydney on 16 August will take them out in front.

Their dominance has been such in recent times that in their last 38 Tests, they've won 36, losing one and drawing one. Next for them is the Rugby Championship, where they will look to cement combinations and continue their momentum a year out from the Rugby World Cup.

You can view the highlights below and key match stats on page two (or below the video if you arrived from our facebook or twitter page)

Posted By: Grant Constable

26 Comments

  • stroudos
    9:54 AM 24/06/2014

    When you start to see people playing rugby in this country like we do football, i mean in parks, the street, school etc., it will come as naturally to our players as NZ.

    Definitely. I haven't been to New Zealand, but I remember going to the beach in Cape Town and no-one was doing keepy-uppy with a football, it was all rugby - chucking a ball about, impromptu games of touch etc. Well either that or cricket anyway. You can tell even from the amateur Saffas who come over and play for teams i've played with in England that the basic, core skills just come more naturally, more instinctively.

    Mind you, I've seen the same when i've been to Wales, there's always a rugby ball being thrown around in back gardens, yet many of the Welsh I've played with have had appalling handling and passing skills...

  • drg
    9:38 PM 23/06/2014

    He did only just make it recently I hadn't got round to liking it yet - It's a brilliant comment and as he said it does to some disservice but of course it is based on truths.

    Fitness is something I am currently trying to improve, so unfortunately I can't say I'm at a good level I'd like to be at, but as a second row/back row, I pride myself in my ability to sidestep, spin out of a tackle and 'do the unexpected'..dummies from the base of rucks etc... Whilst playing around on the beach with ball in hand I've been messing around with no look passes, sneaky offloads etc, which I'd love to take into the game.

    Don't get me wrong, training ground moves are important. Line out drills, scrum drills, back moves etc have a place and are important, but also playing from the heart is; in my opinion, more important as it opens up far more doors than repetition will.

  • 6:51 PM 23/06/2014

    How no one put "like" to that comment I don't know. I totally agree. Brilliant how you worded it. "Backs runnng against no opposition" then backs are told to "play whats in front of them" in a match. How are they ment to do that when all theyve ever done in training is run against no opposition?! Im glad to see that people want to revolutionize rugby training. Go into coaching. I would love to coach once ive stopped playing, 95% of the coaches ive had have been ex players who just repeat the same routine training that they themselves did.
    Training should be about LEARNING AND IMPROVING, like a class at school is. Only in accademies do you start looking at how to ruck, how to defend as a team, what lines to run, actually learning how to play 4 on 3...etc but most of the kids that get into accademies are (mainly talking about the forwards here) the 15 year old that starting taking protein when he was 12 and bulked up. By the time he's 18 the club/accademy where he is, realise he was just big, and not quality or talented and have wasted some other kids opportunity.

  • jimmy23
    2:14 PM 23/06/2014

    Yarde is still young and inexperienced. As for Ashton, with his experience he really shouldn't still be making the amateur errors he makes. But Yarde needs to improve his defence quickly, one would hope Quins will sort that out.

    But yeah I agree Nowell has been one of the better ones by far, would like to see Watson get his chance as well.

  • stroudos
    12:47 PM 23/06/2014

    Yep, I'd go for Foden, Brown and Nowell, and give Watson a go at least until Nowell's fit again. Yarde and Ashton just don't seem to be able to defend.

  • stroudos
    12:46 PM 23/06/2014

    When the hooter went, it looked like New Zealand simply decided that they might as well score another try. The way they just turned the ball over, went through a few phases and casually put Savea through for a jog to the tryline... I mean it looked like they could have done that at will, at any point in the last quarter anyway.

  • stroudos
    12:39 PM 23/06/2014

    Yarde seems to be almost as bad in defence as Ashton. Both exciting players going forward but they're positioning when defending and tackling technique are just not good enough.

    out of the wings who've played recently, the most reliable, versatile and industrious in my view is young Jack Nowell. Once his knee's sorted I reckon he could be the best option, with Foden on the other wing.

  • stroudos
    12:34 PM 23/06/2014

    What's wrong with destroyed?

  • drg
    11:18 AM 23/06/2014

    Totally agree with you, it's just your initial comment brought up haunting repressed memories, PTSD if you will, of that day and I thought sharing it might help... ;)

    But yes your comment makes total sense. I have had a fair bit of travel with rugby, and I've seen it taught in a fair few establishments over the years. What is totally incredible is how rigid it often is when it's being taught. I understand that it must be very difficult for a coach to teach children rugby without enforcing the basics, otherwise when it comes to a game you'd literally have 30 kids all running to the same spot where the ball is - rather than fanning out, defending etc etc... usual crap...

    But when kids get a little older mid secondary school, it's still this:

    prop - fat guy who lands on people, scrummages, rucks mauls..
    hooker - touches the ball a bit in the loose but not much..
    second row - catch ball in line outs but thats it, rest of the time just ruck..
    back row - hurt smaller backs and take the ball into contact and ruck..
    scrum half - the ONLY player that can pass the ball at the base of a ruck..
    10 - ONLY player that can kick

    etc - you get my drift, it is so rigid that kids are scared if they accidentally catch a ball that was not intended for them... "you're a prop, what are you doing with the ball in hand"... I mean of course it's not that bad, everyone gets a chance to have a run, but there is no encouragement to the forwards to play loosely, get involved in the catching, passing of the ball and there is no discouragement to the backs to think of a plan b when 'passing down the line' fails...

    Looking at NZ, they can have a winger flick an offload and a trundling prop is on it faster than Pooh can get his honey! - thats the sort of different mentality they have which is needed from EVERY players, not just 'the quick backs'...

  • piglet
    11:17 AM 23/06/2014

    I slated youngs a couple of weeks ago but thought he played up to the standard I seemed to have forgot about. It seems we are atruggling in the centres again. Eastmond was poor, Burrell came on and was dropping passes missing a couple of tackles! Hartley was dreadful we had so many problems at scrum time and everyone there was no strike the ball sat there as if England were just going to walk over it. I also think parling was massively missed with decisions at the lineout

  • facepalm
    11:35 PM 22/06/2014

    Agree with most of that although I wouldn't write off Goode. Without a doubt the most over-criticsed England player going. Missed one tackle on Hogg two years ago and that's all people remember him for. Should be a centre anyway.

  • 8:50 PM 22/06/2014

    The thing with the All blacks is they all play the same way. All of them play quick ball, bairly ruck and maul, and look for the off load, and they KNOW when they off load, some one will be there. The thing chris ashton was liked for, was how he was always in the right place at the right time, waiting for the last pass or off load. Australia have Foloa who is brilliant at this, Ashton has lost form and should be dropped im not saying otherwise, my point is... New zealand have 15 players in the right place at the right time. They all run brilliant lines and try hunt, looking for the off load. When ever an all black breaks through, there is always someone with him.
    Twelvetrees through that crap off load in the second test to Wood, but it was intercepted, but maybe someone should have been there, closer to him anticipating that. It comes naturally to the All Blacks.

    No way should Morgan play second row. I think Marler/Corbisiero Hartley and Cole (wilson is not world class but ok sub) Launchbry and Lawes are the best front 5 out there. Fit, very hard working, good at their jobs and roles and mobile. Some one above talked about rugby 7s. You wont get 2 second rows more mobile and hard working (mobile rugby sevens style) than Lawes and Launchbry. I would have liked to see haskell. I missed the first test. Wood is a good leader and a lineout jumper but haskells ball carrying is good. 9 Care and youngs sub.



    I really think Lancaster should start going... Sod it, I will take the risk and drop all average players who havent improved and look to the future. (Drop: Johnson, Dickson, Ahston, Twelvetrees (maybe keep 36 as a back up), Goode, May ......
    and give Foden, Watson, Cipriani, And a load of youngsters a shout).
    Lancaster has been great at bringing in new young players, but why stop now?! England u20 apparently have a good winger, bring him into camp.

  • 45678
    8:12 PM 22/06/2014

    Why not? Depends on what you expect his role to be. I don't see a problem with scrummaging. There are plenty of line out options if you play wood, robshaw and one of parling, lawes or launchbury

    The skill set of forwards is really the same outside of set plays, so he would provide the same in open play as he does now. We are struggling as we only have vunipola OR Morgan who really provide go forward, why not pick both. The position shift to lock worked in the past with Martin Corry and Tim Rodber, albeit different eras

    I think what you are questioning is his work rate. Tbh, I don't think it's ever been an issue with England, but is for glos

  • drg
    4:14 PM 22/06/2014

    I am by no means attempting to sound racist, but I remember playing school rugby when we mere infants had hairless legs and schoolboy features (naturally...being at school).. out we trotted onto the pitch and waited for our opposition...

    Out charging came the opposition lead by the biggest black bloke you've ever seen (at schoolboy age at least) - legs like great redwood trees and stubble!

    It was a long ol' day when the opposition basically played "pass it to the black guy and watch him trample over our team"...

    Good point regarding McCaw and his ability to turn invisible to the referees...

  • facepalm
    3:30 PM 22/06/2014

    Ben Morgan is not a second row.

  • 45678
    2:57 PM 22/06/2014

    I'd like to see Ben Morgan shift into the second row. We rely too much on whoever is playing 8 to do all the ball carrying. We need both Morgan and vunipola starting

  • 2:20 PM 22/06/2014

    The All Blacks are looking good at the moment but they still look a long way from their best. I'm fully expecting them to be on top form by the world cup.

  • i_bleed_green_and_gold
    12:28 PM 22/06/2014

    I think after all these game people talk about what they need to do to beat the all blacks. They are one of the fastest learning teams. They correct quickly from half to half with the ability of changing a game plan to a successful one. They just get better and seamlessly slot in new players without disrupting their structures.
    England on the other hand experimented with three different midfield and back row combinations in 3 games against the abs. And they still don't have a set midfield or Back row combinations yet. SL probably should reconsider Armitage as both a power runner and a breakdown specialist. The tight five is good but everything else changes from week to week.
    The championship will be good this year as AUS have really turned up the heat and by Mckenzie dropping start like Genia cooper (although now injured) the rugby they are playing is great. Hope they can beat the abs to stop the record. Then again... the ads have won 34 of the last 36 games with 1 draw and 1 loss. That is amazing in the professional Era so they probably deserve the undisputed longest streak record.

  • rugbydump
    11:30 AM 22/06/2014

    Yeah, thanks Jimmy

  • 11:10 AM 22/06/2014

    England have shit wingers. Nowell Foden and Brown would be good. Or Watson. Yarde can't tackle. Neither can Ashton. Or Eastmond by the looks of it. Dickson is a pussy.

  • drogers93
    11:04 AM 22/06/2014

    I wouldnt say it was true vengeance though because after half time the AB's had clearly dropped down to 3rd gear and turned on the cruise control. Not to take too much away from Englands fight back but you could see not real urgency by the AB's. I reckon England were lucky not to leave with a real beat down put on them haha

  • drg
    5:46 AM 22/06/2014

    Is this NZ coming back with a vengeance that I though was going to happen in the second test?

  • coostov
    12:21 AM 22/06/2014

    I suspect that's the last we'll see of Marland Yarde.

  • jimmy23
    11:16 PM 21/06/2014

    Rugbydump just noticed an error in the summary

    "Perhaps that is still the case but the ease in which England (surely New Zealand?) tore them apart in the first half would be worrying."

  • jimmy23
    9:24 PM 21/06/2014

    That 1st half was just woeful. While just about everyone was guilty of making mistakes, Eastmond was guilty of just about every defensive cock up you could think of. And Ashton, I don't care how good he is for Saracens its obvious that he's not capable of emulating it at an international level. Thankfully with Yarde we have finally found at least one winger who is useful. Once he tweaks his defence and gains a bit more experience he'll be one of our go to people.

    For me what summed up everything was actually the second half. We had just as much position and opportunities as the All Blacks did in the 1st half, the difference was we only scored once and the AB's 4 times. We're clearly capable of creating chances but still can't find that finishing touch.





  • upthelowend
    8:10 PM 21/06/2014

    As an England fan... words cant describe...

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