2 Dec 2012

England beat All Blacks

1:10 pm on 2 December 2012

England beat the All Blacks by 38-21 in their Test match at Twickenham on Saturday.

The home team scored three penalties and a drop goal in the first half to lead 12-0 at half time. New Zealand missed two penalty attempts.

Another penalty was kicked three minutes after play re-started.

After nine minutes, New Zealand gained their first points with a converted try and repeated this three minutes later.

England immediately retaliated with three tries, only one of which was converted.

Two more penalties were kicked after 65 and 70 minutes of play.

New Zealand scored a converted try five minutes later.

New Zealand had won their last nine games against England. But they were outplayed in every department by a team who chalked up their highest score and a record margin against the tourists.

The try scorers were: Brad Barritt, Manu Tuilgai and Chris Ashton for England and Julian Savea (2) and Keiran Read for New Zealand. Owen Farrell, 21, kicked 17 points. for England.

AAP reports it was England's seventh win in 35 Tests against New Zealand and their first since 2003.

Comment

AAP reports coach Steve Hansen said it was rugby the All Blacks would have been proud of.

"They played a really good game of footy," he said. "They moved the ball when they needed, they kicked well and they put us under pressure with a good chase, and their set piece was good."

Most of the New Zealand team had a stomach bug earlier in the week. But both Hansen and skipper Richie McCaw ruled those out as factors.

"We don't have an excuse," Hansen said. "We just got beaten by a better side. We'll take it on the chin."

''England played particularly well ... and they caught us on the hop,'' said McCaw. ''They're a good team and they took their chances.''

Earlier, McCaw said a loss to England would ruin his upcoming six-month sabatical from rugby.

"All the boys will take a wee while to get over it," he said.

The defeat ended a series of 20 games without being beaten.