Eddie’s England storm All Blacks citadel

TOKYO, October 26 

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All Blacks? This Rugby World Cup semifinal was all white. In Yokahama today, it took just over a minute for England to breach New Zealand’s rugby citadel. By the end of 80 minutes they had well and truly sacked it.

Eddie Jones’s England players played with breathtaking power and precision to win 19-7, a result that not only puts them within touching distance of a second title, but arguably re-calibrates world rugby’s pecking order. “New Zealand are the gods of rugby so we had to take it to them and put them on the back foot as much as we could,” smiled Jones.

New Zealand were battered in possession, taunted by England’s superb handling, and kicked to shreds by George Ford. How they must have wished for the boot of Dan Carter or the Richie McCaw-ness of Richie McCaw. Instead, almost 69,000 rugby fans witnessed that most rare of sporting apparitions: an outfought, outplayed and flustered New Zealand team. “We were beaten by the better team,” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.

Demolition of an icon

With more English territory, possession and set pieces won, the statistics of this clash tell their own tale, but this was about much more than figures and scores and percentages; this was the surgical, forensic demolition of a sporting icon. Long the byword for rugby invincibility, the All Blacks had been unbeaten in 19 World Cup matches going back to 2007 — 18 wins and a technical draw after their clash with Italy here was cancelled due to a typhoon.

England’s record against the three-time World Cup winners had offered no real comfort — seven wins from 41 games, none at the World Cup and only one victory, in 2012, in their last-16 clashes.

Yet for all the theatrics with which the organisers heralded this semifinal — thunderous Japanese drumming and flame cannons shooting fire into the darkening skies before kickoff — little could prepare spectators for what would unfold. — Reuters