England World Cup semi-final win over All Blacks ‘team defining’, says Paul Grayson

ENGLAND’S 19-7 win over New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup semi-final was a “team-defining performance” and made the All Blacks “look like they hadn’t got a clue”, says former England fly-half Paul Grayson.

Manu Tuilagi scored England’s only try of the match after 98 seconds

Eddie Jones’ side beat the defending champions to reach the final for the first time in 12 years.

It is England’s first World Cup win over the All Blacks.

“Tactically, mentally, physically, they tore them to shreds,” said Grayson.

England’s previous victory over New Zealand had been a 38-21 win at Twickenham in December 2012, but that had been followed by six consecutive defeats.

They took an early lead when Manu Tuilagi crashed over for a try in the second minute, and had tries by Sam Underhill and Ben Youngs cancelled out by the video referee.

Ardie Savea crossed for the All Blacks following a wayward line-out throw in the second half, but nerveless penalties from George Ford saw England into their fourth World Cup final.

“This is a team-defining performance,” said Grayson, part of England’s World Cup-winning squad in 2003, on BBC Radio 5 live. “They’ve now played at a level that made the best team in the world look like they hadn’t got a clue.”

England’s Billy Vunipola and replacement Joe Marler were advised by referee Nigel Owens to step back over halfway during New Zealand’s haka just before kick-off, something which 2003 World Cup winner Matt Dawson felt helped set the tone for the performance.

“It was comprehensive,” Dawson said on 5 live. “We’re going to sound like arrogant Pommies here but from minute one, from the kick-off, from the haka, they were mentally in the right spot to throw something on the All Blacks. With the pressure they put on New Zealand, you saw them start to crack.”

It was only England’s eighth win over the All Blacks in 42 meetings, and just their third on foreign soil.

“This has got to be talked about as the greatest England performance of all time,” added BBC rugby correspondent Chris Jones.

“The mad thing is they still haven’t been really tested yet this World Cup. It sounds ridiculous, but only for about a five-minute period would England fans have had cause for worry, after Savea crashed over. They never actually looked in danger against the mighty All Blacks.” – bbc.com