Three All Blacks starters who flopped against England - big names disappoint

Scott Robertson’s men burst out to a 12–0 lead but unraveled once again in the third quarter, ultimately falling 33–19 and conceding four tries to three.

The defeat also saw them relinquish the Hillary Shield for the first time since 2013. Here are four players whose performances fell short against England.

Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.

Rugby Pass 6, Telegraph 3, FloRugby 4, RUCK 5, STUFF 5, Planet Rugby 3

Barrett mixed a few sharp contributions—particularly in linking play for early tries—with a string of costly errors that defined his outing. Multiple reviews highlight missed touches, shaky high-ball work, and poor territorial kicking that repeatedly handed England momentum.

His defensive positioning and decision-making were questioned, and despite some positive kicks out of hand and a turnover, he was overshadowed by Ford and faded before being replaced early in the second half. A difficult, inconsistent performance.

Stuff: "Another unimpressive performance by the key driver, and was benched 15 minutes into second half with potential injury as he was completely overshadowed by Ford. A couple of bits of handiwork out of hand and off the boot, but had a bad high-ball drop, a poor pass to ground, missed touch from a penalty, then crashed through on the line for Underhill try. Kicked 1/2 off the tee."

RUCK: "Spilled an early spiral bomb but appeared to bounce back with some excellent out-of-hand kicking. Missed touch from a crucial penalty immediately after Ollie Lawrence’s try. Ripped the ball from Ben Earl to prevent England’s third try. Came off for McKenzie after 54 minutes."

Planet Rugby 4: " The experienced playmaker will not remember this game fondly as he battled for long periods and frankly had a mare in this encounter. One of his worst matches for the men in black as he could not get execute his basics and battled to stamp his influence on proceedings. Barrettwas eventually replaced by Damian McKenzie in the 55th minute."

FloRugby: "This will go down as one of Barrett’s most difficult Tests. His line kicking repeatedly put New Zealand under pressure, and his defensive positioning was exposed multiple times. Decision-making lacked the clarity expected at this level."

Telegraph: "All at sea for an early Ford spiral bomb and that set the tone. Missed touch, missed off the tee; missed the mark, generally."

Rugby Pass: "Had a hand in the opening two tries with sharp link play. However, two missed touches handed England momentum and he faded before the break, with a couple of mistimed tackles creeping in. Replaced by McKenzie after an inconsistent outing."

Rugby Pass 5, Telegraph 5, Stuff 5

Parker brought physicality and work ethic but delivered limited impact overall. He defended well and hit hard, yet England’s pack neutralised him, and he offered little go-forward with ball in hand. His intensity waned as the match progressed, and New Zealand felt the absence of Sititi’s dynamism, leaving Parker solid but unspectacular.

Stuff: "Bigger body was brought back to combat bulky English pack, but again lacked any impact of note, taking just a couple of carries for no metres, while proving a solid operator on defence, logging nine tackles without a miss."

Telegraph: "Is there a more archetypal Kiwi six? A lump who hits hard, thinks smart, and moves heartily – but England neutralised him."

Rugby Pass: "Started physically, throwing himself into early collisions, but couldn’t sustain the intensity. Sititi’s absence was felt, especially in terms of dynamism and a cutting edge the All Blacks badly lacked."

Savea produced an early turnover but was otherwise unusually quiet. He maintained work rate but lacked his trademark influence and impact, resulting in a subdued performance by his high standards.

Guardian: "Big turnover after Feyi-Waboso made ground down left early on, but did not affect things in his usual manner thereafter. Extremely quiet by his lofty standards."

Rugby Pass 4, Telegraph 5, Guardian 4, Stuff 5, Planet Rugby 4

Carter endured a mixed but largely difficult outing. He was beaten too easily for England’s opening try, missed several key tackles, and made handling errors, contributing to pressure on the All Blacks.

While he produced a brilliant chip-and-chase and a strong kick-chase leading to a turnover, his limited involvement in attack and struggles under the high ball overshadowed his positive moments. A performance that will raise selection questions.

Stuff: " Didn’t see any ball first quarter then failed first defensive assignment when smashed through by Lawrence for first England try. Produced one superb chip and chase regather, and a fine long kick-chase/turnover win, and led All Blacks for metres, but with just 59 tells a story. "

Guardian: "A torrid time. Bumped too easily by Lawrence for England’s opening try and coughed up an ugly knock-on. Will surely come under pressure for his place on this evidence."

Planet Rugby: "The rookie flyer struggled throughout as he was exposed on defence when Ollie Lawrence bumped him off before crossing for a try, while his positioning was also poor on several occasions when fielding kicks inside his 22."

Telegraph: "Some moments of supreme judgment but instances, too, when the application was lacking."

Rugby Pass: "Missed several key tackles, including the one that opened the door for Ollie Lawrence’s try. Attempted to bounce back with smarter work out wide but never recovered from losing the aerial battle."

From stunning tries to unforgettable moments—and yes, some hairstyles we’d rather forget—these players were at the heart of rugby’s golden era. If the names don’t come flooding back, it might be time to fire up YouTube and relive the magic.

Think you’ve got what it takes to ace this one? Let’s find out. Good luck!