Superstar Beauden Barrett came off the bench and inspired an All Blacks 24-17 comeback win over England at Eden Park tonight.
The hosts were trailing by four points before the two-time world player of the year was introduced into the game. He quickly set up winger Mark Tele’a to score his second try of the night, breaking English resistance.
England had threatened to become the first side to win at Eden Park in 30 years. Excellent tries by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman handed them a slender 14-13 lead at halftime.
The Scott Robertson-coached Kiwis struggled to regain momentum, and Marcus Smith stretched England’s lead with a penalty before Barrett’s arrival on the pitch.
The fullback showcased composure, steadying the New Zealand ship first by running an excellent line against England’s scramble defense to feed Tele’a – who had opened his account in the first half with a smart poach from the breakdown – before holding up Jamie George over the whitewash in the final play.
Victory for the All Blacks maintains their formidable record at Eden Park and hands them a 2-0 series win over the English, marking a successful start to Robertson’s tenure as head coach of the former world champions.