Superstar Beauden Barrett came off the bench to inspire the All Blacks to a 24-17 comeback win over England at Eden Park tonight.
The hosts were trailing by four points when the two-time world player of the year entered the game. Barrett quickly set up winger Mark Tele’a for his second try of the night, breaking English resistance.
England had looked set to become the first side to win at Eden Park in 30 years after excellent tries by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman gave them a slender 14-13 lead at halftime.
Under the guidance of coach Scott Robertson, the Kiwis struggled to regain momentum. Marcus Smith extended England’s lead with a penalty before Barrett’s arrival on the pitch.
The fullback displayed composure to steady the New Zealand team. He first ran 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—then held up Jamie George over the whitewash in the final play.
The victory for the All Blacks maintains their formidable record at Eden Park and secures a 2-0 series win over England, marking a successful start to Robertson’s tenure as head coach of the former world champions.