Words: Patrick
, This Saturday sees the opening game of England’s summer tour to New Zealand – the mighty All Blacks still firmly rooted as the indisputable champions of the world. Despite early pessimism surrounding the series due to lack of experience within the men in white compared to the strong team fielded by NZ coach Steve Hansen, nothing is written in stone. When is comes to rugby, a sport which – of course – we invented, us Brits aren’t a nation to roll over and have our tummies tickled. Being underdogs inspires rather than suppresses those wearing the Red Rose.
As kick-off looms, we take a look at 5 of the classics between these two rugby giants.
1995 WORLD CUP, CAPE TOWN: ENGLAND 29 – NEW ZEALAND 45 , Jonah Lomu’s impact in the 1995 World Cup was the stuff of legends. He was both feared and revered and was a monolithic driving force behind the All Black’s progression to the final. In the semi against Will Carling’s team, he was devastating, famously trampling Mike Catt and scoring four tries, in the process knocking England out of the tournament.,
1997, TWICKENHAM: ENGLAND 26 – NEW ZEALAND 26, A blistering start from the home nation led to a score of 20-3 at half time; David Rees producing a wonder solo try. However, the Kiwis came back in stirring fashion, ripping through and surpassing the 17-point deficit. It was England, through Paul Grayson, who needed a late penalty to draw the pulsating game.,
2002, TWICKENHAM: ENGLAND 31 – NEW ZEALAND 28, Jonny Wilkinson, just 23 at the time, gave one of the best performances of his glittering career. His personal tally was 21 points, including an exquisite chip that put him underneath the posts. The match went down to the wire, and England hung on to kick-start a run of victories that would march them to the top spot in the 2003 World Cup.,
2006, TWICKENHAM: ENGLAND 20 – NEW ZEALAND 41, This time it was Dan Carter giving a masterclass. A deft touch, ballet step and bullish power saw him dissect the English defence on many occasions, scoring 26 points – a record for an All Black in a match against England.,
2012, TwICKENHAM: ENGLAND 38 – NEW ZEALAND 21, One of the great victories in English history as they tore a hole into the All Blacks’ reputation. The visitors came into the game as firm favourites, having won their previous 20 matches, but tries from Barritt, Ashton and Tuilagi put paid to that in dramatic style. Here’s to hoping of an equally impressive performance tomorrow!,
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