England’s first game of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series is in the books, and Steve Borthwick’s men suffered the most heartbreaking of defeats this afternoon at the Allianz Stadium. A missed George Ford drop goal was the decisive blow, between a memorable win and a third consecutive defeat to Scott Robertson’s All Blacks.
With two star-studded squads were cast with talent from one to 23, there was bound to be some stand out performances this afternoon in South West London. Having witnessed the high octane action and caught our breath after such an electric end to the fixture, we have highlighted the five top performers, from England’s defeat to the All Blacks. This list takes a look at the stand-out players from both sides, in this unforgettable encounter.
1. Marcus Smith (England)
There was plenty of positive sparks from England’s resident magician, as Marcus Smith was at his very best for Borthwick. Question marks were raised regarding the withdrawal of the Harlequin, as George Ford took over at 10 for the last 20 minutes of the match. This turned out to be a decisive replacement for England, as Ford missed two crucial kicks, which would have turned the result of the match into an England win.
Smith shone in defence, as he was confident in his coverage in the back-field. The fly half executed a nice goose-step after sweeping up a loose ball, to skip passed Mark Tele’a and send the following kick downfield. Smith led the way in England’s points scoring, as he got their tally underway after just five minutes, with well struck penalty kicks at goal. Smith rode an illegal hit from Asafo Amua well, and slotted the following shot at goal in what was his second successful penalty.
Smith’s finest effort off the tee saw him nail an effort from 45m, as he narrowed the gap down to just two points ahead of the half-time break. A missed drop goal just before the half-time interval was one to forget, yet the slice will not be as widely remembered as Ford’s decisive effort. Smith was pivotal in England’s sole try, as he raced away along the touchline following an excellent interception. Smith shipped the ball to Slade, who then found Manny Feyi-Waboso for a try against the run of play.
Smith’s parting contribution was an inch-perfect 50-22 kick, that piled on the pressure for All Blacks to contend with. Smith received a resounding ovation from the Allianz faithful as he departed, as George Ford made his long awaited return in the matches’ closing moments.
2. Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)
A break-out star of the 2024 Rugby Championship, Wallace Sititi continues to impress all onlookers with incredible all-round performances. At just 22-years-old Sititi is a real star for the future, and ignited the afternoon’s try-scoring with an audacious ‘out the back’ offload to Mark Tele’a. Managing to squeeze the offload between George Furbank and Tommy Freeman, Sititi found Mark Tele’a out wide to open the scoring.
Sititi was a genuine threat with ball in hand, and left the England players on the deck with battering carries, or in his dust with a sudden burst of pace. Sititi split the England defence at the 26th minute mark, as he made his way between Ollie Lawrence and Jamie George for a first half line-break, that got a real lift out of the pockets of All Blacks fans in attendance.
Another dangerous line break saw the back row scoop up Tommy Freeman’s spilt ball, before wheeling away with a straight returning run. Leaving the Northampton wing in his wake, Sititi channelled his vision with a serging run, before looking up for an offload to Tupou Vaa’i in support. Had the lock been able to gather the offload, Vaa’i would have been clean through to extend the All Blacks lead.
The fine performance also saw some expert handling skills, as Sititi gathered a missile of a pass from Caleb Clarke towards the end of the match. The Blues wing shipped the ball wide to the Chiefs man, who juggled the ball well before tearing away down the left touch-line. Had the ball not been called back for an earlier offence, Sititi would have been hard to stop with his head full of steam.
3. Mark Tele’a (New Zealand)
You would be hard pressed to find an international player with a better strike rate than Mark Tele’a. Continuing to be a thorn in the side of the English rose, Tele’a crossed over for two tries against England, bringing his career tally up to 12 tries in 17 Tests. Tele’a left Ellis Genge no chance for the opening try of the afternoon, as he launched onto Sititi’s incredible offload, and skipped around the tackle attempt of the Bristol Bears prop.
Tele’a was at the heart of the action as the ‘handbags’ broke out, as Tom Curry threw the Blues wing to the deck following a stoppage of play. The judo looking takedown did not hinder the wing, as he would be back down the England end to add salt into the wounds with his second try of the match.
Tele’a had plenty to do as he collected the ball out on the right touchline, with both Harry Randall and Tommy Freeman in his path to the corner. The Aucklander executed a neat spin move to muscle his way through the Bristol scrum half, before flying through the air with a dramatic one-handed dive to score in the corner. A stunning finish from an enigma of Test match scoring, Tele’a continues to set the standard for wings upon the international stage.
4. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England)
From one in-form wing to another, there was no denying how impactful Manny Feyi-Waboso was yet again for England. Having made the All Blacks remember his name on the recent Summer tour, Feyi-Waboso kept up his solid strike rate with his third try in as many matches against New Zealand.
If there was ever an equivalent for Tele’a as an unstoppable force in an England jersey, Feyi-Waboso certainly takes the honour, and was brilliant once again for Steve Borthwick’s side. The Exeter man set the defensive tone with a perfectly timed hit on Will Jordan, as he followed the flight path of Marcus Smith’s kick like a missile on course for impact.
Feyi-Waboso was excellent on the break, and when he was not rushing through gaps to break the gain-line, he did his best effort and battering his way through the All Blacks with powerful carries into contact. The Chiefs man relished the contact against the New Zealanders, with many a thunderous collision echoing around the Allianz after Manny carried into contact.
Of course Feyi-Waboso’s try is worth a mention, as he kept up with Marcus Smith’s downfield break, and supported his club-mate Henry Slade’s supporting line. Even after Will Jordan tracked back to bring down the midfielder, Slade found his Devonshire colleague who had an unopposed trip to the try-line. Slade would later be thanking Feyi-Waboso for saving his spilt ball, with the wing returning the play out of danger despite being surrounded by a plethora of black jerseys.
5. Chandler Cunningham-South (England)
Given the nod by Steve Borthwick to start in the six jersey, there was plenty of expectation on Chandler Cunningham-South ahead of this match. The man who spent the majority of his childhood in Auckland was fired up for the All Blacks, and was certainly amongst England’s hardest workers this afternoon.
Cunningham-South got an immense reaction from the 82,000 in attendance, after he nailed Tupou Vaa’i with a brilliant tackle. The Harlequin lifted the All Blacks lock into the air, and planted him down for a perfectly legal and incredibly impressive hit on the towering second row. Vaa’i was left grimacing at the Allianz big screens, with replay after replay showed of Cunningham-South’s crunching hit.
The following scrum saw Cunningham-South hit that extra gear, as England won the penalty at the set-piece. The back row was swept up in emotion and encouraged the crowd to get behind his teammates, with the rafters shaking at the order of the flanker. Cunningham-South would receive a solid ovation upon his exit, as Alex Dombrandt entered the fray to take over from his Harlequins teammate.
