The All Blacks might have started with the cut throat gesture of the new Haka. But a brave and battling performance from Martin Corry's England almost put the knife into the claim that New Zealand are the best rugby team in the world right now in a truly pulsating Test match. A bulldozing try from Corry and 14 points from fly-half Charlie Hodgson came up just short in the face of another brilliant display by All Black No 10 Daniel Carter. Carter weighed in with 13 points of his own but it was his two shafts of brilliance which produced All Black tries for Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu which ultimately were the difference, even if England could justifiably claim that the first came via a forward pass. But England can take much heart from this defeat. After the sterile encounter last week against Australia, this was a real Test match, a thunderous meeting of bone and mind. Head coach Andy Robinson had said in the build-up that it would show England where they stood just two years out from the defence of their World Cup. So it did. If New Zealand are undoubtedly the best team in rugby right now then England have time and a gathering sense of progress which suggests they will not be too far away come October 2007. At one stage New Zealand were down to 13 men, England's unrelenting pressure having sent Tony Woodcock and Neemia Tialata to the sin bin. Flanker Chris Masoe also ended the game in the bin as England's sheer guts and fire threatened to pull off a famous victory. Flankers Pat Sanderson and Lewis Moody were superb in the loose, hooker Steve Thompson was a rampaging presence and England's front five once more had an heroic afternoon against a team which had averaged almost 40 points per match in their last 10 internationals, including routs of Wales and Ireland in the last two weeks. If only England had a spark of invention in the back line. If only they had a Jason Robinson or a Will Greenwood to produce something out of the ordinary. Yet they could not have started more confidently. Within two minutes they had points on the board, Corry burrowing over for a pushover touchdown after Carter had given away a penalty by throwing the ball deliberately into touch. It was the psychological blow England needed. Robinson's forwards had demonstrated their power with an awesome performance in victory last week when the spotlight fell on such as 6ft 5in prop Andrew Sheridan like never before. The question was always whether they could repeat that aggression. Danny Grewcock, not surprisingly, was determined to fight fire with fire and proved so with one abrasive altercation with Ali Williams. If only England could have matched their forward fire with similar heat in the three-quarters. The truth is too often they looked sluggish in attack, ponderous at times in midfield where Jamie Noon and Mike Tindall lack the pace to deliver real penetration. By contrast, the All Blacks back line had menace and invention all along the line. In Umaga and Aaron Mauger they had experience and creativity, Umaga in particular punching holes in the English defence. And in fly-half Carter they had a man determined to show why he is acclaimed as the world's best playmaker. It was Carter who set up the All Blacks first try after 15 minutes, ghosting through a gap patrolled none too efficiently by Corry before feeding Umaga with the inside pass for a clear run to the line. Umaga could have had a second touchdown eight minutes later, but for a desperate and brilliant try-saving tackle by Ben Cohen following the sort of piercing break from All Black scrum-half Byron Kelleher which was lacking in England's play. Two penalties by Carter, with one reply from Hodgson, took New Zealand into the lead. But the sides should have gone in at the interval level on points and would have done so if Hodgson had not missed a penalty sitter virtually in front of the post from 30 metres. As it happened Carter missed one from virtually the same spot just after half-time, the difference being that moments later once again he drifted clear of his markers with another mazy run which caused havoc in the England defence. The resulting burrowing try from All Black hooker Mealamu was not nearly as pretty as Carter's work, but it took New Zealand clear at 20-10. England had some justification in becoming frustrated at some of Irish referee Alan Lewis' decisions, especially around the breakdown area. Another penalty from Carter eased the All Blacks further ahead, but English pressure was mounting and New Zealand prop Woodcock found his way to the sin-bin after pulling down the maul for the fourth time. It got worse for the All Blacks when they went down to 13 men with substitute Tialata also sent to the sin-bin as England ratcheted up relentless pressure. The resulting Hodgson penalty reduced the arrears to four points and a frenetic finale unfurled in which England just failed to snatch the win. For Robinson, however, one thing is certain - England are back on the march. | 
