So, we go to a decider next week in Wigan, as England missed the opportunity to sew up the series at the Olympic Stadium. The hosts failed to thrill a bumper London crowd, and despite offering up resolute defence against an impressive New Zealand, their attacking display was a disaster. Gareth Widdop’s seventh-minute penalty was England’s only score as New Zealand inched their way to a deserved victory. The series is still on though; let’s hope for better next weekend. Thanks for joining me. Bye!
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Full-time: England 2-9 New Zealand
Hoot, hoot, hoot goes the hooter, bringing down the curtain on an attritional afternoon of rugby. New Zealand were determined and quietly impressive; England – given the stage and the stakes – were dismal.
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79 mins: New Zealand pick up possession after – wait for it – a failed kick through the defence, and with a minute left, they can start to celebrate. Issac Luke picks up man of the match – there were a fair few impressive Kiwi performances out there, with Peta Hiku worthy of praise after his struggles in Hull.
78 mins: It looks like we’re heading to a third Test decider – the Big ‘Un in Wigan, if you will. England get a chance to at least notch a try, but another uninspired kick, this time from Hall, is cleaned up by the only try scorer, New Zealand’s Kenny-Dowall. In the midst of that faltering attack, Widdop takes an almighty hit and has to be helped off the pitch.
England 2-9 New Zealand (Kahu drop goal)
New Zealand move upfield after Bateman’s rick, and do what they should have done a few minutes ago, with Kahu flicking the ball through the posts to leave England needing two scores to save the game.
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76 mins: Time running out as England sweep forwards from a scrum, with Widdop involved to find Williams, then Bateman... who lets the ball out of his grasp. Frustration reigns.
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75 mins: Tom Burgess is back for the final tilt. Bateman runs out of room but finds Hall on the left flank. He chips and charges, but is made to look quite the fool by Tuivasa-Sheck, who sidesteps him quite beautifully to end the danger.
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74 mins: New Zealand throw themselves at a disheartened England defence, and Nikorima, shaking off the cramp, darts for the line in England’s right corner. He celebrates, but it looks like the ball popped out of his grasp – and replays confirm it. This game has been a masterclass in missing opportunities.
73 mins: Roby dabs the ball through the posts, and Graham plunges on the ball beyond the line! It’s going to a review, with Sutton also asking for contact on Graham to be checked... but the replays show that Graham didn’t ground the ball, and with no foul, it’s no try and a 20-metre restart. The crowd jeer furiously, but it’s the right call.
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72 mins: The returning O’Loughlin and Hodgson work well to move England forward, before Hill skitters through a cluster of black shirts. Fifth tackle, with England inches from the line...
71 mins: England get the put-in on the halfway line, still within a converted try of claiming the draw. It’s more than they deserve after a dispiriting second half effort, but it is what it is.
70 mins: Luke takes the penalty... and puts it wide! That’s a bit of a shocker, and England are let off the hook once more...
69 mins: England concede a seventh penalty to New Zealand’s six, and it’s in range of the posts. “Kick it!” shouts Jonathan Davies, channelling his inner Beastie Boy. Nikorima is down again – cramp is the problem, it seems.
68 mins: Things getting increasingly ragged for England, with Hall spilling an errant pass, handing New Zealand a scrum 12 or metres out.
67 mins: It’s an all too familiar story, as Hodgson, on in place of Roby, finds Whitehead, but he attempts a kick that’s never coming off, releasing the pressure so New Zealand don’t have to.
65 mins: Widdop takes steps to redeem himself with a kick that lands between Nightingale and Tuivasa-Sheck, allowing England to push upfield. The visitors are unruffled, but their own attack breaks down as Nikorima, who looks injured, scuffs a kick into Ryan Hall, and England regain possession.
64 mins: Widdop meekly surrenders possession in midfield, and New Zealand can kick downfield. England must start again from their own 20-metre line, with time starting to trickle away...
62 mins: Replays show that Ferres did enough, causing Hiku to spill the ball onto the England man before trying to ground it. That’s a knock on, rather than a second try. A pretty important tackle from Ferres, by all accounts.
61 mins: Matulino is back on in place of Bromwich, with New Zealand looking in no danger of running out of steam. Nikorima offloads left to Hiku, who marches beyond Whitehead, before being hauled down on the line by Ferres. Sutton says no try, but we’ll go to a review...
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60 mins: England can barely get ten metres from their line, and are hanging on here – Sam Moa (who was born in – that’s right – Tonga) leads the line here, and another kick from Nikorima leaves Watkins diving backwards to slap the ball away.
58 mins: Luke’s return hasn’t made things easier for England, as he peppers the defence with accurate, unpredictable kicking. This time, Hall has to push the ball out of play. Proctor returns as New Zealand look to turn the screw, with Hiku offloading stylishly to Nikorima, whose kick through puts Bromwich and Widdop in a foot race. Widdop scuffs the ball out of play in a manner you couldn’t call composed.
56 mins: England find space down their right flank, involving Watkins and Burgess, who hurls a hurried pass behind him with the line in sight. The largely anonymous Hardaker collects, and play shifts to the left, but Williams drops the ball. They’re getting closer
54 mins: Luke puts Hall under pressure with a bouncing kick beyond the try-line, but the winger deals with it, shimmying back into play and giving England a chance to move upfield. Whitehead will return to the fray, replacing O’Loughlin.
53 mins: Tom Burgess, largely quiet in the back row, again does well to get under a high ball, with black shirts closing in. At the fifth tackle, Farrell sends an apologetic kick dribbling into New Zealand hands. We get the first audible groans of the afternoon.
51 mins: It’s New Zealand looking fearsome and fluid going forward, with Luke kicking long to tee up another charge for the line. Harris fights past a couple of loose tackles, falling inches from the line, but the move breaks down when Nikorima spills a pass. He’s looked dangerous at times, but has suffered some lapses in concentration.
50 mins: Tom Burgess is off, replaced by James Graham. Two changes for New Zealand, with Luke returning alongside Ben Matulino. Lewis Brown and Adam Blair make way.
48 mins: Roles reversed in this second half so far, with England playing laterally and getting nowhere against a wall of defenders. The move ends with a hopeful hoof in the air, and New Zealand recovering possession after showing neat hands to gather the ball, with Ryan Hall in close proximity.
46 mins: An Issac Luke update – the hooker is not out of the game, despite not returning to the field yet. Expect him back imminently. Another handling error in midfield, with New Zealand knocking on to cede possession 40 metres from their own line...
44 mins: New Zealand knock on, and Bateman gains quick yards in search of an immediate response. England again target the right-hand side of the visiting defence, but Widdop offloads sloppily and Hall knocks on. A nervous start to the half from England.
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TRY! England 2-8 New Zealand (Kenny-Dowall)
After a quick check for a possible Harris knock-on, the try is awarded, as winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall finally finds a hole in the wall. With Luke still off, Kahu converts smartly from out on the right touchline.
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42 mins: Nikorima leads a charge downfield, before flipping the ball back to Harris. Harris collects, offloads and finds Kenny-Dowall, who runs the ball in – but we’ll go to the video referee...
41 mins: Bromwich and Sam Moa have returned for the start of the second half, replacing Taupau and the lively Kevin Proctor. A forward pass ends an England attack – they need to cut out those kinds of errors.
Peep!
We’re back under way. Let’s have some tries, please!
Here’s Neil Mackie with an interesting half-time e-mail:
I could be disappointed about the number of empty seats but I’m sat here watching it on telly in Liverpool so I can’t judge.
It’s odd how flat the atmosphere is given the raucous and entertaining club games we have throughout the year, but perhaps there’s no animosity towards the Kiwis that would add a bit of bite.
Given the number of sports the BBC seem to be losing due to cost I wonder if they may make a stab for grabbing some/all Super League coverage or, due to the number of English players in it, the NRL.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea, Neil. As an aside, by my reckoning 23 of the 34 available players feature in the NRL – which is neither nation’s domestic league. Admittedly, I’m including the New Zealand Warriors in that count.
Half time: England 2-2 New Zealand
It’s been better that that scoreline suggests, with both sides getting within metres of the line on a few occasions. New Zealand have had more of the ball, but England have perhaps looked more likely to find the first breakthrough on their excursions upfield. More to come in a matter of minutes.
40 mins: ...there’s time for one more charge for the line from New Zealand, and one more exceptional piece of defending, this time from Joe Burgess, who collects a kick and dives beyond two tackles to get back into the field of play. England hold the ball until the hooter sounds.
38 mins: Somehow, there hasn’t been a single try in this half. England have defended magnificently, and the introduction of Brown and Green from the bench has steadied New Zealand. For the first time in a long time, play gets bogged down in midfield for a spell...
36 mins: New Zealand pick up a penalty in midfield, and lead a late charge for the line, with Farrell standing firm to keep out Proctor, and a wave of pressure down the left breaking against that impenetrable wall of white. The visitors get frustrated, and the move ends with a risible attempted kick that’s closer to the referee than anyone in a black shirt.
34 mins: From the new set of tackles, Widdop picks out Bateman, who skips beyond a tackle, but is held up a couple of metres short of the line, and as England try to regroup down the middle, Roby sends the ball forward.
33 mins: England are applying the pressure now, and get the put-in at a scrum. Tom Burgess is again front and centre, taking three of the five tackles, then chasing down a cute kick over the try line from Roby – but it’s a New Zealand hand that just gets there first.
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31 mins: Ferres enters the fray, meaning all four interchange players are in the game – and as in the first Test, they make a difference, with Tom Burgess causing havoc up front, before the ball is swept to Ryan Hall on the left. Hall is kept out of the corner, but feeds Widdop, whose kick bounces just beyond the grasp of O’Loughlin.
28 mins: Alex Glenn, on in place of Blair, is penalised for a knock-on, giving England a chance to start a new set inside New Zealand territory. They stutter to within twenty metres of the try-line, but George Williams’ kick through is easily fielded. A little more invention is needed from both sides.
26 mins: Nikorima, who started brightly, makes an other misjudgement with the boot, allowing Widdop to take it on the full and launch another attack – but again, they can’t replicate their defensive efforts going forward, and run out of steam within sight of the halfway line.
A couple more changes – Michael Cooper is on for James Graham, while Ben Matulino replaces Jesse Bromwich for New Zealand.
24 mins: England earn a welcome penalty, and a chance to escape their own half. Tom Burgess comes on and is immediately to the fore as the hosts make ground – but the ball is offloaded to Bateman, who slips and surrenders possession.
22 mins: The visitors are dominating territorially, helped by a run of repeat sets, the latest of which gives them a scrum ten metres out. It’s the wall of white against a blur of black, as Harris and Proctor take turns to charge at the England defence – but they run out of time and tackles, and Hiku spills the ball to surrender possession. Relieved applause rings around the stadium.
20 mins: New Zealand have had 60% possession so far, but they haven’t found a way through, and England will be happy enough as a result. James Roby, who impressed in the first Test, is on in place of Hodgson.
18 mins: New Zealand pick up a new set of six tackles just ten metres out as the ball catches an England boot, and then get another six as the hosts concede a penalty. The wall of white is in full effect though, forcing Kahu to try and tunnel under it – but England hold out, and Blair’s kick is gathered by Graham.
16 mins: England release the pressure as Hodgson nabs the ball from a Jesse Bromwich fumble, and have a first chance to build pressure of their own; by the fifth tackle, they are within ten metres and motoring, with Hill prominent again – but Widdop’s chip through is overhit by a distance.
15 mins: New Zealand’s forwards look to have recovered from last week’s exertions, with Blair, Proctor and Blair all involved in a spell of canny offloading, then pressurising Hardaker after the kick downfield. The edge is with the visitors at present.
England 2-2 New Zealand (Luke penalty)
Luke isn’t going to miss this, and it’s all square after an even opening spell.
12 mins: More pressure from the visitors, and England’s defence can’t keep their discipline, with Graham penalised right under the posts for a challenge on Hiku. New Zealand could run it, but they too opt to kick...
10 mins: New Zealand can attack from midfield, and Hiku surges to within a metre of the line, before the ball is worked to the right, then back left, via the pivotal Nikorima. Kahu finds space and looks to offload wide, but Joe Burgess (no relation) is on hand to tip the ball away.
9 mins: England’s front row have been prominent in a tentative start, but New Zealand keep James Graham pinned down, and Widdop is forced to kick away. All very quiet inside the stadium, much like in Hull last week.
England 2-0 New Zealand (Widdop penalty)
With the option of going for the line, England take the two points, as Widdop slots the kick home from in front of the posts.
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6 mins: Sean O’Loughlin surges forward with New Zealand on their heels, and Blair is penalised for hanging on. From the penalty, Chris Hill finds an opening and forces a second penalty from Sam Moa – this time, well within kicking range.
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4 mins: New Zealand pick up a penalty in their own half and charge upfield, and Nikorima, sporting No19, causes a flurry of panic with a kick beyond the try-line which has to be batted out of play. From the restart, Luke leads the charge, and Nikorima tries the same trick again – but this time, it bounces out of play without English assistance.
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2 mins: Still in their own half at the fifth tackle, England kick high into the East London sky, and Elliott Whitehead is under it, but spills the catch. Watkins thinks fast to scoop the ball to Widdop, who works it to Bateman – and with the set still alive, he tries to kick for the corner, but it spins out of touch.
1 min: New Zealand struggle to make ground and Issac Luke kicks long into the corner, where Super League Man of Steel Zak Hardaker is under it. England with a first chance to move upfield...
Here we go!
Sutton blows his whistle, and Gareth Widdop beams the kick-off deep into New Zealand territory.
A minute’s silence, both to mark Remembrance Sunday and as a tribute to Chris Leatherbarrow, the Super League referee who passed away suddenly last week. Anthems follow, and then we’re a haka away from kick-off.
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Dry ice, pyrotechnics and a blast of Muse as the players head out onto the pitch. There are a few empty seats behind the posts on either side of the ground, but there’s a rare old atmosphere regardless. Note: I don’t think this is kicking off at 2.30 on the dot.
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England will kick off after New Zealand won the toss and elected to receive. The man in the middle for today’s game is Australia’s Gerard Sutton.
Coach chat
Steve McNamara says it’s “well documented” that England’s start wasn’t up to scratch last week, and adds that “we’ve got to be very, very good to win this game.” Stephen Kearney confirms the decision to throw Nikorima into the team, and says that the fact the series could be lost today isn’t a factor – they’re playing to win, regardless. Neither coach giving a huge amount away, in all honesty.
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A late change to the New Zealand side, as coach Stephen Kearney shuffles things around in the middle of the park, with 21-year-old Kodi Nikorima replacing Tuimoala Lolohea. Nikorima will slot in alongside half-back Peta Hiku, who struggled in the first Test. On the BBC, they’ve been talking about you know who for a good fifteen minutes.
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Aside from a couple of changes on the New Zealand bench, the previously announced teams are unchanged from the first Test. That would, on paper at least, appear to be a positive for England, who looked physically stronger with each passing minute in the first Test. The hosts are odds-on to win today’s match, but you suspect the Kiwis will have kept a little something in reserve.
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Half an hour or so until the big kick-off. Here’s a couple of videos to pass the long wait until then.
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The teams
England: Hardaker; J Burgess, Watkins, Bateman, Hall; Widdop, Williams; Graham, Hodgson, Hill, Whitehead, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Subs: Ferres, Cooper, Roby, T Burgess.
New Zealand: Tuivasa-Sheck; Nightingale, Kahu, Whare, Kenny-Dowall; Hiku, Lolohea (late change – replaced by Nikorima); Bromwich, Luke, Moa, Harris, Proctor, Blair. Subs: Brown, Taupau, Matulino, Glenn.
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Preamble
Hello. This has been, for reasons we won’t go into at length here, a pretty good week for English rugby league. It began when England turned the screw on New Zealand at the KC Stadium, and culminates in an Olympic Stadium showpiece this afternoon.
That hard-fought, well deserved first Test victory puts Steve McNamara’s team on the cusp of something quite special today. A victory in the second Test would seal a series win over the Kiwis, something England haven’t managed since 2007. It would also push England up to second in the world, above even the mighty Australia.
The warm glow of the limelight, and the fire of self-belief sparked last Sunday, could still fizzle out with defeat – even in a repeat of the last-gasp World Cup semi-final loss to the same opponents. There is a sense that after a spell of eager underachievement, it’s time for England to grasp the nettle.
There are plenty of reasons to believe they can do so, not least the second half in Hull, which saw England overturn a 10-0 deficit as their pack dominated the world’s No1 ranked team. There’s cause for uncertainty too, not least the aforementioned slow start, which the hosts won’t get away with twice against opponents that are below full strength, but will swiftly punish any hint of complacency. This one could go to the wire.
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