In a closely contested match, England faced New Zealand and fell short with a final score of 24-22, marking a disappointing start to their autumn series. New Zealand’s Mark Tele’a, who came off the bench, scored the pivotal try in the 76th minute, maintaining the All Blacks' dominance over England.

The two teams had previously met in July, where England lost narrowly in both encounters. This time, despite playing on home turf at Twickenham, they struggled in the first half and were fortunate to be trailing by only two points. Early tries from Tele’a and Will Jordan put New Zealand in the lead, but England managed to stay competitive thanks to four penalties from Marcus Smith.

The turning point came early in the second half when Smith intercepted a pass and set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for a try, giving England a brief lead of 22-14. The atmosphere at Twickenham was electric as hope surged among the fans. However, despite their efforts and a penalty attempt from George Ford that hit the post, they could not maintain their advantage.

As New Zealand ramped up their pressure late in the game, Tele’a’s second try capped off their comeback and sealed the victory for the All Blacks. England will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next challenge against Australia, currently ranked tenth in the world. They will also face South Africa on November 16 before concluding their autumn campaign against Japan later that month.

The result puts added pressure on head coach Steve Borthwick’s squad to bounce back from yet another narrow loss and secure three wins in their upcoming matches. The team’s performance showcased moments of promise but ultimately highlighted areas needing improvement if they hope to compete effectively against top-tier international teams.