Recalling England’s Memorable 2012 Victory Over the All Blacks

When England hosted the All Blacks at Twickenham in 2012, their historical record against New Zealand stood at only six victories from 33 encounters. Former England centre Brad Barritt recollected the atmosphere, stating, “There was electricity in the air at Twickenham. We were playing the world champions, a team littered with experience and a trophy cabinet the desire of most rugby players across the globe. We knew we faced a huge challenge but you just felt this special feeling brimming in the team.” In December 2012, New Zealand, then the world’s top-ranked team and featuring renowned players like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, arrived at Twickenham with the expectation of extending their unbeaten streak to 21 matches. Outside observers offered England minimal prospects of defeating the All Blacks for the first time in nine years. However, within Stuart Lancaster’s squad, a quiet anticipation prevailed. Barritt noted that the players felt they were “due a big performance.” The subsequent match delivered one of the most exceptional performances in English rugby history, culminating in a record 38-21 victory against New Zealand. Barritt, then 38, informed BBC Sport, “We probably hadn’t had the results in that autumn series so it built to a crescendo facing an unstoppable All Blacks side, which was widely regarded as one of the best rugby teams ever.” Despite New Zealand being strong favourites, Owen Farrell’s consistently accurate kicking capitalized on England’s set-piece superiority, securing a 15-0 lead for the home team by half-time. England, whose last victory against New Zealand was in 2003, found themselves in an unaccustomed position of leading at the interval. Nevertheless, Barritt expressed the team’s disappointment at not having extended their lead further. “We probably didn’t execute some of the opportunities we created but we did build some scoreboard momentum,” he stated. “Everyone knew the opponents we were facing though, and how they were going to bounce back.” England’s apprehension soon materialized. Following the break, the world champions rallied, scoring two rapid tries via Julian Savea and Kieran Read, narrowing the margin to a single point. The anticipated comeback appeared nearly finalized. Barritt further commented, “Suddenly you are at parity and having to restart the game. But there was a still a lot of positivity among the players. We had barely fired a shot at New Zealand in the second half and wanted to get back on the front foot and execute on one of our plays.” Just three minutes after Read’s try, Barritt penetrated the midfield defense, then linked with fellow centre Manu Tuilagi to score a try in the corner. An image caption depicts Brad Barritt evading Dan Carter’s tackle to score for England against New Zealand in 2012. This moment raised the question: was it an English resurgence or merely momentary defiance? Barritt described it as “a game-changing moment. The momentum had been in their favour. I remember Owen Farrell firing a great pass to me and it was Kieran Read over-tracking so I was able to beat him on the outside. Manu was there to support and we were able to draw that last man and he got it back to me for the try. In that moment, there was a feeling of euphoria. It was my second try for England but to score against the All Blacks was special. From then on, the team kicked into overdrive.” Moments later, Tuilagi provided another assist, surging past both Carter and McCaw before passing the ball wide to an advancing Chris Ashton, who sealed England’s dominance with his characteristic swan dive. A notable victory was secured past the 60-minute mark when Tuilagi transitioned from assisting to scoring, executing a well-timed intercept and running unopposed. Twickenham erupted in celebration, and England experienced a renewed sense of being among rugby’s elite, having handed New Zealand their third-heaviest defeat in 109 years of Test rugby. Barritt further commented, “It was an unbelievable atmosphere and there was an electricity in the air at Twickenham. If you could freeze that moment of sheer jubilation as a player, that was as special a feeling most of us had ever felt.” The triumph achieved by Barritt and the 2012 squad marked England’s most recent home victory against New Zealand. Nearly 12 years later, Steve Borthwick’s team is preparing to host the All Blacks to commence their Autumn Nations Series campaign, following narrow losses in both matches of their 2-0 summer series defeat in New Zealand. The upcoming match is scheduled for Saturday, 2 November, with a kick-off at 15:10 GMT at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Coverage will be available via live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Barritt, who earned 26 caps before concluding his rugby career at the end of the 2019-20 Premiership season with Saracens, remarked, “England are in a very similar place as a team as we were in 2012. They have shown they are a quality outfit and there are a lot of experienced players in that side, but they probably haven’t got some of those big results they would’ve wanted. They have all the ingredients with fantastic coaches and super-talented players but they are probably trying to find that secret to edging out wins they don’t deserve on the day. It’s that ruthless edge which England’s World Cup winners had in 2003.” Barritt, who has since transitioned into business, assisting tech start-ups and managing his own coffee company, emphasized that England’s set-piece performance will be vital if they aim to replicate their 2012 triumph. He further stated, “With respect, I don’t think this New Zealand team are the same force as they were in 2012 and they don’t have as much experience. England’s pack is stronger and could have more influence on the game in the set-piece. I think they will try to play quickly and utilise the skills at their disposal, but at Test level, you have to do that with balance. You cannot play recklessly against the top players in the world.” Barritt concluded, “It could be the game which shouts out that England are global contenders.”