20 minute red cards, clocks counting down scrums, line outs, penalty kicks and conversions and referees talking to the crowd, welcome to international rugby 2024 style.

Amidst the plethora of law trials, one thing that hasn’t changed is the excitement and anticipation of England and New Zealand going head-to-head in front of a capacity crowd at a place they used to call Twickenham.

The London branch of the Allianz Stadium (as opposed to the Sydney and Turin branches) played host to one of the great rivalries in sport yesterday in a match launched the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.

On a muggy misty day with Joe Marler’s motivational team talk ringing in their ears post Haka the All Blacks indiscipline and England scrum dominance kept them in the hunt in a first half where the All Blacks scored two tries through Mark Tele’a and a gliding seemingly effortless run from Will Jordan, but the beauty was negated by the beastly metronomic boot of Marcus Smith who kicked four out of four penalties to put England within two points of their rivals at half-time.

Four minutes into the second half with the All Blacks attacking, a three to two overlap was intercepted by Marcus Smith who ran the length of the field before feeding Furbank. He passed immediately left to Feyi-Waboso to score a try. The 81,910 present greeted with a defeaning roar. Smith’s conversion gave England the lead. Another penalty on the 59-minute mark extended that lead to 22-14.

The All Blacks were looking very ordinary in the face of England’s suffocating defence. Their attack was littered with one up carries, and it was difficult to see anything other than an England win.

But the raft of substitutions that are part of the modern game had an effect on both teams. For England, they lost momentum and scrum domination and for the All Blacks the introduction of Damian McKenzie and the sharper scrum-half Cam Roigard put a spring in their step.

A McKenzie penalty with thirteen minutes remaining brought the score to 22-17, and even this clunky, inaccurate All Blacks side could smell English blood.

Sure enough with five minutes remaining Mark Tele’a, the man who could side step you in a telephone box, went over in the corner for his second try of the game (22-22). Beauden Barrett’s miraculous touchline conversion made it 24-22 to New Zealand.

A George Ford penalty hit the post and his attempted drop goal drifted wide during a fever pitch final few minutes, as the All Blacks clung on to a victory, but for England it was a case of déjà vu and another narrow defeat to add to the back catalogue.