Sevu Reece finished off a flowing move to score in the corner, but Damian McKenzie couldn’t add the extras. England responded well and Maro Itoje powered over from close range to get his side on the scoreboard. Marcus Smith converted to level the scores at 5-5.
New Zealand continued to press and Ardie Savea crashed over for their second try, again unconverted by McKenzie. Smith kept England in touch with a penalty before half-time to make it 10-10.
The second half saw McKenzie kick two penalties to put New Zealand back in front, but England weren’t done yet. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso finished off a well-worked move to put England ahead, with Smith’s conversion giving them a 15-13 lead.
However, McKenzie had the final say with another penalty to secure a narrow 16-15 win for the All Blacks. England will be left ruing missed opportunities, while New Zealand will take confidence from a hard-fought victory.
However, New Zealand responded almost immediately with a try of their own as Akira Ioane crashed over the line after a powerful driving maul from a lineout. The conversion put the All Blacks back in front.
England continued to fight back, with Smith kicking a penalty to bring them within two points of New Zealand. But the All Blacks extended their lead once again with a try from Dalton Papalii, converted by McKenzie.
Despite England’s best efforts, they were unable to close the gap in the final minutes of the game, and New Zealand held on for a hard-fought victory.
The win continued New Zealand’s dominance in the series against England, further cementing their status as one of the top teams in international rugby.