New Zealand Edges England 26-22 in Thrilling Autumn Opener

New Zealand handed England a frustrating start to their autumn rugby series with a narrow 26-22 victory at Twickenham marked by Mark Tele’a’s decisive 76th-minute try. The All Blacks continued their dominance over England, who have now endured four close losses in their last five matches. George Ford’s final-play drop-goal missed by inches, mirroring the narrow margins throughout.

England, trailing 14-6 at halftime after tries from Tele’a and Will Jordan, struggled initially but responded with resilience in the second half. Marcus Smith’s interception set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for a try, boosting England to a 22-14 lead. Twickenham came alive as England rallied with a spirited defense, building on strong scrummaging and aggressive contact play.

However, the All Blacks applied relentless pressure, ultimately piercing through as Tele’a returned from the bench to score late on with Damian McKenzie converting from the touchline. England’s pre-match response to the All Blacks’ haka fired up the crowd with captain Jamie George leading the team up to the halfway line. Despite the energy, New Zealand capitalized on England’s mistakes including missed tackles and a costly penalty count in the closing stages.

England head coach Steve Borthwick expressed a mix of pride and disappointment, acknowledging his team’s strong showing against a formidable New Zealand side but lamenting the missed opportunity to seal victory. With this loss, the pressure mounts for England as they prepare to face Australia next week followed by matches against South Africa and Japan.

Captain George noted the need to “win these close ones,” emphasizing smarter play to avoid penalties in critical moments. England’s fight was evident but New Zealand’s composure and clinical finishing proved decisive, leaving England seeking answers ahead of a tough autumn schedule.