Rugby-England beat New Zealand 38-21

Quite a scalp considering the length of NZ's unbeaten record and the number of new caps Stuart Lancaster blooded today. Hopefully this is a sign that we're returning to the top of the tree again.

I was at the game. What a day!!! England smashed them off the park! It was unbelievable the way they came back from the two tries that NZ scored to make it 15-14 and ran in 3 tries in answer.

I'll never forget today.

These stats don't even begin to tell the story!

You should go more often

England played like men possessed. Deserved winners, well done.

Graeme

PS great subject title if you're filling in time until delayed tv coverage starts... 

Good deserved win by England.

The AB's phoned-it-in. Probably a result of the stomach bug.

No excuses. Just saying

"The AB's phoned-it-in. Probably a result of the stomach bug."

Maybe they should have used a cook from South Africa. 

From the highlights - I have never seen England play so well.

Something I thought I noticed but hasn't been commented on (that I have seen).

NZ against Wales were obviously committing as few forwards as possible to the rucks - giving them an instant attack/defensive advantage.

England seemed to have learned from this and did the same - which made NZ look a bit ordinary.

OK - until they ran tries.

Not like we haven't heard the food poisoning/virus excuse before!

I like what the AB's coach said of the loss; "the loss will put a couple of rocks under the beach towel over summer".

A somewhat veiled suggestion that his players were thinking more about their summer break than playing a $3 million fundraiser for the NZRU. Sorry England but I reckon Wales would have beaten the AB's on Saturday.

(running for cover)

I liked the fact the AB's made no excuses.

England played with accuracy, intensity and dsicipline. They have often managed one out of those three at best recently.

I hope this gives them confidence but the bottom line is they lost to a very average Aussie side and to SA as well before this. The potential is there, the Six Nations are for proving it consistently.

Interesting times. My passionately Kiwi mate told me on Friday that rugby watchers in NZ have been wary of the England young talent for a bit. I have not spoken to him since the game!

Bruce

but maybe not Scotland

We will see whether this was a false dawn or not after all England have had plenty of those before. However, this just may be different. It reminds me of when Woodward first took over and England took absolute hammerings down under whilst depleted by the Lions tour of SA. There were little seedlings showing the year after and England started to beat the Southern Hemisphere giants, narrowly at first and then more convincingly.

I think this just might be something similar we are seeing here. Lancaster is a clever coach, more modest than Woodward with a different style but just as driven.

Watch this space!

England is a young team.

I know it's 3 years way but 2015 WC is wide open with England looking rather dangerous. And especially so, given a lot of the current AB stars won't be around in 2015.