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Jonah Lomu emerged from the Twickenham gloom like a ghost with a silver fern to shatter England's world.The man-mountain who had bulldozed England with four tries back in 1995 broke England's hearts again just when it looked as if Clive Woodward's men were on the brink of a triumphant comeback.
A fantastic, pulsating,
blockbusting rugby match was poised at 16-16 when a long spin pass found
its way to Lomu loitering on the left wing just past half-way. The man
who used Tony Underwood and Mike Catt as doormats four years ago set off
on one of those trademark battering ram-like runs which left white shirts
trailing in his wake.It was like Robocop racing down England's right wing
as one after another of England stars were picked off by the awesome New
Zealander.
First came Jeremy Guscott, who was swatted away with all the disdain of a bear pawing away an irritating wasp.Then came Austin Healey who bounced off the 18-stone winger's thighs and will no doubt wake up tomorrow morning with the headache to prove it.Lomu then crashed through Matt Dawson and Dan Luger to dive over for the touchdown which effectively won a match which exceeded everyone's expectations.And what a game it was. A fantastic advert for rugby union and a brilliant way to silence the critics who had said this World Cup was too disjointed and had failed to capture the imagination.
Yes, the mighty Lomu again took all the plaudits for his one awe-inspiring moment in the 58th minute to claim his 10th World Cup try which put him level with Australian legend David Campese as second on the all-time list of World Cup try-scorers. But there were heroes all around Twickenham.There may have been noisier, more emotional occasions at rugby HQ - but you would have had to have owned a bus pass to remember them.
This was the match which had it all. The cerebral, silky running of Guscott, the awesome goal-kicking and play-making talents of Andrew Mehrtens and the crunching, bone-shaking tackles of Josh Kronfeld and Lawrence Dallaglio.From the moment Australian referee Peter Marshall ordered the England players to give ground in the face of the famous Haka to the final whistle neither side took a backward step in a match which bounced and bounded along at a frightening pace.The victory gives New Zealand the prize of the easier route through the rest of the competition, while England must now face the perils of an extra-play-off match.
In the cold analysis Woodward will look at a phenomenal All Black defensive performance.But he will also feel that England threw this match away with the constant crooked line-out ball from hooker Richard Cockerill which gave New Zealand precious possession.Still, this was the match billed as Judgement Day - the day when we finally found out whether all the talk of England's brave new world under Woodward added up to a row of rugby beans.The truth was that the All Blacks were exceptional in every department - England sadly lacking when the pressure was at its fiercest.
But that didn't detract from the battles which exploded all over the pitch - Back v Kronfeld, Guscott v Cullen, Leonard v Dowd, Cockerill v Oliver, Vickery v Hoeft, Dawson v Marshall. Everywhere you looked there was a crucial match-up. For 10 minutes or so England rolled forward relentlessly, the forward domination threatening to overwhelm the New Zealanders. But then came the first crucial mistake in the England display and it came from Cockerill - the abrasive England hooker missing his man in the line-out and allowing the New Zealand captain to surge deep into home territory.
The pressure brought the inevitable penalty which Andrew Mehrtens slotted over with calm authority. From a position of control England suddenly looked vulnerable and it was no surprise when the All Blacks' superior handling skills produced the game's first try. There is no more lethal finisher in international rugby than Christian Cullen, who had scored 30 tries in 36 Tests prior to this match.And when a sinewy shimmy and Ferrari-like acceleration took him clear of the defence, England were always in trouble.
The farmer's son with the laid-back demeanour fed flamboyant winger Tana Umaga, who looked certain to reach the line before a desperate tackle by Matt Perry pulled him down.Such are the silky skills of these All Black three-quarters, however, that in the act of falling Umaga slipped a wonderful pass to full-back Jeff Wilson, who dived over for the crucial touchdown.
Mehrtens added the conversion and a penalty and suddenly Woodward's brave new world did not look so rosy.To be fair New Zealand's half-time lead of 13-6 would not have been so impressive but for the wretched goal-kicking form of Jonny Wilkinson. The man who had totted up an individual points record of 32 against Italy last weekend kicked two but missed three first-half penalties - all well within his usually deadly compass. When Mehrtens slotted over another penalty within two minutes of the restart it looked like the All Blacks were set to cruise away.
But this England side possess a fitness and resilience perhaps never seen before in the home dressing room and they hauled themselves back into the match with a try which owed much to a fabulous initial thrust deep into the New Zealand half. Guscott's resulting clever kick ahead caused panic in the All Blacks defence and when the ball squirmed away from the back-tracking Justin Marshall to rest against a post there was Phil de Glanville to drop on the ball for the crucial touchdown. A Wilkinson conversion and penalty levelled matters at 16-16.
Enter Lomu and his impression of a JCB, a run and touchdown which quite literally knocked the heart out of England. Once Lomu had given the All Blacks that crucial edge a tiring England visibly wilted, allowing New Zealand replacement Byron Kelleher to cross for a soft try in the corner, a try which the superb Mehrtens converted from the touchline. England can be proud of their display - it had heart, exuded commitment and passion.But once more the southern hemisphere came out on top when it mattered most - the imagination and ingenuity of the All Blacks three-quarters eclipsing the more static English backs.
England can still win the World Cup, though a likely quarter-final against South Africa beckons just days after a gruelling play-off. It's going to be tough - for that they can thank Lomu.
Teams:
England: Perry, Healey, De Glanville, Guscott, Luger, Wilkinson, Dawson,
Leonard, Cockerill, Vickery, Johnson, Grewcock, Hill,Back, Dallaglio.
Replacements: Grayson for Wilkinson (72), Rodber for Grewcock (61),
Greening for Cockerill (72),Garforth for Vickery (54).
Not Used: Beal, Greenwood, Corry.
Tries - De Glanville
Cons - Wilkinson
Pens - Wilkinson 3
New Zealand: Wilson, Umaga, Cullen, Ieremia, Lomu, Mehrtens, Marshall,
Hoeft, Oliver, Dowd, Maxwell, Brooke, Thorne,Kronfeld, Randell.
Replacements: Gibson for Ieremia (68), Brown for Mehrtens (80), Kelleher
for Marshall (65), Willis for Brooke (66).
Not Used: Blowers, Hammett, Feek.
Tries - Wilson, Lomu, Kelleher
Cons - Mehrtens 3
Pens - Mehrtens 3
Referee: Peter Marshall (Australia)