This was an experimental B team that England played against with many senior AB players left out.

@James Leatherbarrow 2003 England were way out in front, not so sure about 2002. This match is in my top 4 of painful losses - along with 2003, 2019 RWC, 2022 (a draw after leading by 19 points is a loss). It was a great match, England deserved it, but we’ll never know what might have been if the ABs had put out a full strength team.

@James Leatherbarrow The same thing could be said for the 2022 match. England’s reserves ran circles around the ABs and should have started.

@@steveandreassend8620 Experimental?? You, my friend, should stick to football as it is obvious that you know nothing about rugby union!

Shut up..this was the end of an era for alot of ab players and this was essentially a B team as well.

@@jldp24 I think you're what he meant by "toxicity." How DARE an All Blacks fan be gracious in defeat!

@@jldp24 What a crap of justification! Always the same when England beat one of their big rivals in the sport. Though not a "pom", I think we all friends of Rugby have had enough of this shit! A plead to stop with that, coming from Greece.

@@eliaskotzakidis8773 calm down Zorba

@@jldp24 Rubbish. If you can't make more sensible comments than this, I'd suggest you don't post. Then you won't look a fool.

Definitely ! As our PE teacher regularly used to prove by playing for the “inferior” side - and as I was always scrum half or on the wing and was the only one who would try and tackle anyone (it was a state comp and football DOMINATED) then I was left with the unenviable task of tackling Mr Clark or Mr Richards. Thanks guys .!

I always wondered why England always played a 2 match Test series against the All Blacks and not a 3 match series or even a 5 match series like everyone else and yet to win a test series in between the one off games. 118 yrs with 8 wins averaged out a win every 15 years since 1905. maybe to help keep the stats down, France are the best NH team to have faced the All Blacks and have won 13 games 48 loses & 4 draws

+Stephen Reeds David Rees got the same treatment scoring in the corner in 1997.

They always get away with it too.

Look at the England #11's shot to the head of the NZ #8 at 21:27, then quit your whinging, Poms.

@@davidg9501 Just a bit of payback for all the dirty NZ play. Nowadays players aren't getting away with it and the amount of yellow and red cards in recent NZ history shows this. Almost a level playing field.

Joe Bish payback? interesting comment. we can all come up with as many regrettable incidences as one another. The way i look at it as a loyal Kiwi, is to look back to the humble beginnings of the All Blacks and their successful goal in showcasing our tiny nation at the bottom of the globe, bringing NZ to to the world through sportsmanship, their mantra was always humility, camaraderie and respect, that was our forefathers and who we should be emulating. Apologies for so called fans who beat their chests, brag and belittle our opponents on social media, most of those are unlikely from NZ as the All Blacks also have huge followings all over the world who don’t seem to care about representing us, our history in the world or about being humble.

That’s funny. 😂

He was definitely solid. I still think Leonard, Cotton, and later, Sheridan and Corbisiero were better. Corbs was one of the best scrummagers I saw in recent times

They didn’t need to neutralise him. They knew the areas where they were stronger and where they could exploit NZ, which they did. The could easily have stuck Ben Cohen on the opposite wing, but what would be the point? Many teams focused on stopping Lomu and then had their pants pulled down by the rest of the All Blacks’ team.

No..he really is just a knob 😂

Totally illegal...but sent the guy to Disneyland

+lfc lee Yeah but England then went on to beat a full strengths New Zealand team in their backyard a year later!

I'll freely admit England were miles ahead as the best team in world rugby 2002-2003. They would have beaten the All Blacks in the 2003 RWC final if the AB's had somehow overcome Australia. If anything England played better before the RWC, they tended to go back into their shell at the tournament, a pity, as they had some great attacking play in the 2002 games against NZ, Aus and SA.

dogmatix asterix The 2003 RWC was "difficult" somehow and we definitely didn't play at our best. That was disappointing as we really had played some brilliant stuff from about late 2000 - mid-2003. I'll still take it though!

World # 1 for about 2 days I think.

@@Crusadersix6 ~ We all know the #rugby world rankings system does not always necessarily precisely reflect the reality. Generally, though, it is pretty accurate. I can only suggest you re-read my comment, and specifically the final sentence! . A year or two ago, #Ireland briefly became number one in the rankings, having defeated the #AllBlacks twice in a year. Fact. Some were dubious as to whether they deserved the accolade, but you can only do what you can do; you can only beat who is in front of you. . #England defeated #NewZealand in their own back yard in mid-2003. They then crossed the Tasman and defeated #Australia in their back yard too. Five months later England went and won the #WorldCup - on Australian soil. The facts are clear and unassailable. England's period of dominance in the year or two leading up to and including the 2003 World Cup was self-evident. It didn't last long thereafter as some members of the squad called it a day, though for all that England still subsequently made the World Cup final - against victorious #SouthAfrica this time - in 2007, much to my surprise and that of many of my compatriots, I might add. . So quite clearly, for a time at least - and a bloody sight longer than two days! - England were the number one rugby union team in the world. Any fair-minded person knows that. It was all a long time ago and - what with this horrendous Coronavirus Covid-19 disease sweeping the globe in 2020 - in the great scheme of things it is of little importance. Nonetheless, facts are facts, and those who love to crow (even if they have plenty of justification) should try to find some humility within themselves and have the good grace to acknowledge other's achievements, however scant or fleeting they may be. To do otherwise is incredibly ugly and unworthy of respect. I find it distasteful to even have to discuss this. I did not question Ireland's right to their number one ranking. I have never contested NZ's numerous and well deserved number one rankings, nor those of other nations like Australia or the Boks when they have experienced periods of dominance. I have always said that northern hemisphere nations are only as good as they can be when judged against the southern hemi's rugby giants. Well, for a while in the early noughties, England were. As utterly dominating in all aspects as England were in their semi-final demolition of #NZ in the 2019 World Cup in #Japan (to the surprise of virtually everybody, including me) in a match in which the #Kiwis were gifted the only points they managed to score due to a very poor throw-in by an otherwise rampant England at their own lineout, and during which one of England's two other disallowed tries should really have stood (when, with forward passes aplenty, did officials decide to zoom a camera into the depths of a maul like that and come to such a conclusion?) I came across no Englishman who felt we should have won the final. Despite the hugely damaging freak injury to our prop a couple of minutes in, on the day South Africa were simply too strong and well-drilled, and with plenty of skill in the bag too, as they showed when they cut loose late on. So hearty congratulations to South Africa. Best team in the world as of now. A fully deserved victory! . Frankly, I find it piss-poor that certain people - I mean you specifically #GaryDowd - are incapable, it seems, of similar largesse. Such miserly dishonesty and childish churlishness speaks volumes about such people as human beings and will inevitably manifest itself in other facets of life. It is certainly a manifestation of 'little man syndrome'. I'll leave it to others whether they think it is redolent of 'little country syndrome' too, though personally as a big fan of New Zealand as a country and of their rugby folklore I think it is unfair to tar others with the same brush. Basically, people like Gary Dowd are the dregs of humanity. The lowest of the low. The truth is that every nation has such idiots. Every nation has to suffer its own fools. Mercifully, though, they are the minority. I find solace in the firm belief, based on personal experience, that most people are so much better than that!

@@123tgw You do realise that game was almost 20 years ago. Day in Day out England's body of work has been mediocre at best over the decades. You had a couple of brief times in the sun, nothing to really crow about though. Remember a broken clock is right twice a day. The AB's historically in comparison have a body of work (over a 130 years) that no other sporting team on earth has achieved. That is a 82% win/loss ratio. BTW The All Blacks have played England in 7 Test Series (Since 1963) comprised of 15 games. NZ have won 14 games drawn 1 and lost 0. Really an annihilation don't you think?

@@Crusadersix6 ~God you're thick #GaryDowd! Have I denied any of that? You're a terrible 'ambassador' for #NewZealand & the #AllBlacks. You're an embarrassment to #NZ #rugby & humanity. Now piss off!

@@Crusadersix6 Don't be so bloody cocky, you big-headed prick. Think yourself lucky we English taught you how to play the bloody game, and all the others, by the way.

3 more to be precise

Especially when he was playing with a life threatening decease & unwell. It seemed we loved him more than the Kiwis. Even though we in NH were the recipients of his bumps or being run over and tries. I was rather shocked at his funeral? The stadium.wasnt full?

Ha ha. I see him at the barber shop across the street from my flat quite often. Going for a shave, presumably! :-D

Not sure about that, NZ's first try would probably be given on the grounds there was 'no separation' between the player and ball, it would count now just as it counted then

deanhuntify I’m here from the demolition of the Poms by the Bokke in RWC 2019

As a Pom I agree with all of this. England destroyed the All Blacks in the 2019 semi-final. South Africa deserved to win the final. Boks are worthy world champions. Congrats!

@@123tgw it seems with the top teams anyone can win on the day

untill Cohen leaves him for dead

and Ben Cohen the fastest of the lot