Former center Will Greenwood has blasted head coach Steve Borthwick for taking out Marcus Smith when England were in command against the All Blacks.
The 25-year-old had a fine game at Twickenham on Saturday, scoring 17 points as they went into the final quarter with a 22-14 lead.
Smith also set up the try for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso with a fine break after an interception, meaning his withdrawal was surprising.
He was replaced by George Ford for the final 18 minutes, but it turned out to be a bit of a disaster for the veteran playmaker.
Ford’s mistakes
Firstly, Ford missed the tackle on Mark Tele’a in the build-up to the wing’s second try, before going wrong with two late kicks as New Zealand claimed a 24-22 win.
Greenwood was frustrated and wrote in his Telegraph column: “Letting that lead slip away at home, given the way the game had gone, was virtually inexcusable.”
The defeat also continued a theme England, who have suffered a number of close losses in 2024, three of which were against the All Blacks.
“Fixing has gone from being a thorn in England’s side to a chronic disease. And, at the heart of the second-half collapse, the replacement of the head coach Steve Borthwick were in the spotlight,” Greenwood wrote.
“Marcus Smith was six from six off the tee, with 17 points to his name, when the fly-half was replaced by Ford in the 62nd minute.
“This is Ford, who hasn’t played a minute of rugby since September 28, when he limped off with a thigh injury in the sixth minute of Sale’s loss to Saracens.
“Ford is a fine player but he was rusty – he missed a tackle for Mark Tele’a’s late try, missed a late penalty and a drop goal – and Smith ran the show.
“Replacing a 17-point fly-half seemed foolish at the time and when Ford lopsided his potential match-winner, it proved so.
“The move seemed pre-planned and was in no way reactive to what had happened during the match. To quote Kung Fu Panda. You often meet their fate in the path they take to avoid it.”
Exit the game
Greenwood also felt that England’s approach was all wrong after Ford came on the field. The Red Rose great insisted Borthwick’s men were predictable when the fly-half replaced Smith, resulting in their demise.
“The introduction of Ford meant parking the bus from England. Naively, the Borthwick side believed they could have an eight-point lead against New Zealand,” he added.
“These All Blacks may not be world beaters yet, but this is a country that, whichever way they face, will always have the x-factor and the firepower to overturn an eight-point deficit.
“England, who barely created a try-scoring opportunity all match, had to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and harass New Zealand with ball in hand.
“Instead, Ford’s arrival fueled a sense of predictability and hyperbolic pragmatism in England. There’s nothing wrong with kicking – in fact I’m all for it – but there has to be an element of deception in it.
“As soon as Ford arrived and whenever England had possession, the whole team got into a chase formation. New Zealand stepped up and eventually the pressure became apparent.”
s-17:05 -d3:11:2024x