The Challenge of Facing the All Blacks: Reflections from the Field
When Danny Care reminisces about his experiences playing against the All Blacks, he evokes a feeling of bewilderment after the defeats. Although he was part of England’s memorable victory over the All Blacks in 2012, it is the confusion after the defeats that endures in his memory. “You stay there, reviewing the match,” says Care. “At 75 minutes, you think: ‘We’re going to win’. And then, a few minutes later, you lose by two tries and everyone scratches their heads in the locker room, wondering why that happened.”Beating the All Blacks is a high point for any generation. Of their 46 encounters in 120 years, England has won only eight. Their last triumph was in the semi-final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, a performance considered one of the best. That 2019 victory is a reminder of the one they obtained in 2003, an achievement that foreshadowed their success in the World Cup that year.
Steve Borthwick’s team has the opportunity to secure England’s first home win against the All Blacks since 2012. Player Jamie George commented: “Many teams are awestruck by the history and incredible players of the All Blacks. It’s easy to fall into that. I probably have.”It was one of the biggest victories for our generation. But, 13 years later, it’s incredible to say that beating the All Blacks once at home was the greatest achievement of that generation.
Danny Care
Danny Care and the England team know the difficulties of facing New Zealand well.
Chris Ashton, who defeated the All Blacks in 2012, shares his experience: “Playing against the All Blacks is a curious thing. You act in a certain way against them, I don’t know why. Until you’ve experienced it, you can’t understand why you’ve given them so much advantage when you know you should have played better.” He adds: “I think I’ve played against them nine times, and in two or three matches you’re one point away and end up losing. They have so much history and tradition, and there’s something special about that team and that jersey. Every time you play against them, I think, whether subconsciously or consciously, you’re always aware that at any moment you can be defeated.”
Eddie Jones, Japan’s coach, oversaw England’s victory in the 2019 World Cup. Before that match, Jones used a samurai sword to symbolize the team’s determination. “I think they still have an aura,” Jones said. “You hear the players talk about it. They talk about how the All Blacks do things, and how they are this and that. They are an exceptional rugby country and players, but like anyone, if you put enough pressure in the right areas, you can achieve it. They want to be great, but if you can make them small, you can beat them.” The first victory of England over the All Blacks was in 1936, known as the Prince Obolensky match. Since then, England won in Auckland in 1973, at Twickenham in 1983 and 1993, and then came the consecutive victories in 2002 (31-28 at Twickenham) and 2003 in Wellington, which established England as a World Cup favorite. In 2012, England had their best performance under Stuart Lancaster, beating the All Blacks 38-21. “There were rumors that the All Blacks had been ill during the week, but Manu Tuilagi was unstoppable that day, you just had to give the ball to Manu and let him do his thing,” says Care.
Since the November 2012 victory, the 2019 triumph stands out as an example of the All Blacks’ dominance. As Care said, the players are baffled after being outplayed by the Kiwis. “You wonder how that happened,” says Care. “When are we going to take the next step and achieve that elusive victory against them”.
Analyzing what was said after each defeat since 2014, similar themes are observed. After the three matches in New Zealand in 2014, Lancaster lamented the lack of precision in the last 20 minutes in Auckland, captain Chris Robshaw said they needed to be more forceful in Dunedin, and a week later, Lancaster was annoyed by how England did not exert enough “pressure on the scoreboard” in Hamilton. “You always had to score first and start first. If you fell behind, I felt it almost made no sense to continue the match,” says Ashton.
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England’s mood was defined by Jones wielding the samurai sword, then came the (unproven) accusations of espionage and, when the All Blacks lined up for the haka, England formed an arrow shape to respond. “We tried to choose a team that was aggressive: you need aggressive players. Once you match their physique and fitness, you’re getting there. For the haka, we had a conversation about forming a circle around them, but we settled on the v shape. We wanted to silence the crowd and make New Zealand think that this wouldn’t be a walk in the park, and transform that emotion into ‘we are here to face you'”.
Owen Farrell faced the haka with a thin smile, while Marler crossed the halfway line and incurred a penalty for England. “It’s a good plan when you win, but if you don’t, you’re arrogant,” says Jones. “So, in retrospect, it was a good thing!” After the match, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was asked by a journalist if he was concerned about his team’s supposed lack of commitment. It was a question that suggested the All Blacks’ defeat was due to them not being mentally prepared for the match, rather than England playing at an incredible level.
England’s arrow-shaped response to New Zealand’s haka in Yokohama, Japan 2019.
Hansen responded by inviting the journalist to a serious conversation. The two met again in November 2022, with England coming back from 25-6 to tie 25-25, but that was Jones’ last autumn in charge of England. Steve Borthwick succeeded him and, before his tour of New Zealand in 2024, recalled what it was like to face the All Blacks, drawing on memories from his own playing career. “I’ve been on teams that have gotten on the plane without true faith,” Borthwick told reporters. “There have been some series where that has happened.” England put them under pressure in two matches, but left with the usual regrets. Captain Jamie George said that “fine margins” caused them to lose 16-15 in Dunedin, and looked at the positives of their 24-17 defeat a week later. The All Blacks visited Twickenham in 2024 and two late missed kicks from George Ford allowed the Kiwis to win with a 24-22 victory. “That legacy plays a role, I think,” says Care. “That match where Fordy hit the post with the penalty and then missed the drop goal, if that was against any other team, would it have gone inside the post? There’s just something against the All Blacks that, if you don’t finish them off, you won’t win the match.” Therefore, judging by what those who have fallen short in the past have said, to beat the All Blacks you need to: look beyond their history and aura, strike first, and seize every single opportunity. Phew. It’s not an easy task.
Steve Borthwick’s team will face New Zealand once more at Twickenham on Saturday.
Ashton comments: “I remember thinking it’s very easy to get lost in how good the All Blacks are. But I think that slight aura of being defeated has disappeared… But then again, we’re here talking about how few victories England has had!”. New Zealand’s win record under Scott Robertson is 76%, and there is a perception that the All Blacks are fallible. But ask Scotland, who had the opportunity for immortality last weekend, only to be unable to stop the Kiwi machine once it got going. The All Blacks are going for their own Grand Slam tour, seeking a sweep of victories on Northern Hemisphere soil for the first time in 15 years. Ashton believes that England has what it takes to beat the All Blacks, but will need experienced heads to guide them. “Some of the players in the team haven’t played against New Zealand. Coaches can give you all the information and attach emotion, but without having really experienced it, it’s quite difficult for you to understand what it’s like,” says Ashton. “I hope the occasion doesn’t affect them, and that they don’t leave the match saying ‘oh, you know, I should have done better there'”. Borthwick’s team must stick to their game plan to beat the All Blacks on Saturday, but also find a mindset where they can put aside the previous history, see beyond the incredible history of the All Blacks and reduce the contest to the fundamentals of rugby and small margins. Jones’ advice, recalling the 2019 victory: “Hit them first. Hit them hard. Don’t wait for them. As soon as you start thinking about the aura, you sit back and watch them. You need to be the spectacle, not be part of it.” Borthwick’s team is on a nine-match winning streak. They are on an upward trajectory, but becoming the ninth team to beat the All Blacks would unite them with an elite group and signal true progress. “What a boost it would give them to win 10 games in a row by beating the All Blacks,” said Care. “Ask any England player ‘if you could be part of a winning team against anyone, who would you choose?’ “Everyone would choose the All Blacks.”
