Replay | England v New Zealand 2003

Let us take you back to June 2003 when we faced New Zealand in Wellington in an historic Test Match.
Live from 19:30 BST on Saturday, 13 June.

[@lonestar6709]

England went down to 13 men, and New Zealand still couldn't score! This England side was loco. People talk about Jonny and his kicking, but the real ace up the sleeve was that back row. Best ever defensive unit, in Rugby history.

[@ZEP0034]

Best team ever so skilled.

[@paddyanglais91]

Amazing that players get sent off for an accidental head clash nowadays, whereas in 2003 you can deliberately stamp on Josh Lewsey's head and get a pat on the back.

[@boudayassine1068]

The best England rugby team for all times

[@GlenWood47]

Sad to watch Thompson storming around the field back then on the day that we hear the tragic long term legacy of his efforts.

[@bflex89]

if not the best ever. definitely the best pack of all time

[@robertcottam8824]

​@@bflex89 Probyn - Moore - Leonard Ackford - Dooley (3 from) Winterbottom - Skinner - Teague - Richards... They weren't bad, you know...

[@dannygray-mi3xn]

Here here. They beat Australia, New Zealand and South Africa 15 times running

[@the_one_eyed_man_is_cursed]

NZ also lost the World Cup tie in this match. To be two men down, two of their very best forwards, with the ref' biased totally against them, England defended like giants and increased their lead. England showed who was the best team in the world. Enormous.

[@robertcottam8824]

In what way was ref biased? Seemed fair enough to me. It wasn't Steve Bloody Walsh...

[@russe19642]

​@@robertcottam8824there's always an excuse when kiwis lose

[@gary8306]

​@@russe19642👍

[@catstevens5890]

This was the start of the end of New Zealand violent illegal rugby success. Thank god. The game is so much better now they don’t get away with spoiling our game.

[@Jordskotts]

It was obvious we were going to win the World Cup in '03, with this team. We won every game that year apart from a 17-16 loss to France away. A year later, the ABs hammered us twice and the genesis of their greatest team was beginning. On a side note, it's what makes this year's World Cup so exciting. It feels like it's really open. The SH teams always peak around World Cups, Ireland and France stronger than ever etc.

[@stellen11]

Brilliant. This and the new alan partridge podcast are getting me through lockdown nicely!

[@agnostic47]

1:03:00 England six outscrummage NZ eight. 1:06:20 Martin Johnson laughs at NZ.

[@0scar_flexman326]

Gonna be epic 👌

[@tubemagpie]

16/06/23 I never got to see this before and my stomach is churning. So much so good and yet so much so bad about this match.

[@robbiewoodburn9730]

Please can you publish the England Australia match from the same summer tour?

[@paulstubbs6157]

The best British rugby tea of all time, no question.

[@robertcottam8824]

Agreed- but with an honourable mention for: Crumpets with (unsalted) butter and Marmite; scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam; ox tongue sandwiches; ham hock terrine with pickles... Perhaps some potted shrimp from Morecambe Bay; bit o' that salad; some good quality sausages with salted roast potatoes; a big pot of loose-leaf Darjeeling: brahn shrimp 'n' brahn bread; oysters; a big Lancashire onion pie, sliced; Melton Mowbray... warmed Cornish pasties... Shed-loads of beer, devilled kidneys and oyster mushrooms - extra toast; and a whole smoked ham... No quiche or chicken legs... But some whitebait and tartare sauce, more oysters, loads of whelks, razor clams and cockles - even more tartare sauce and brahn bread for those who are still a bit 'clempt' Now that's a decent English tea

[@samhunter7413]

What was the point in the TMO in this game? Try was about 5 metres offside and bloke stamped on Lewsy about 6 times. Both saw by us but not by him

[@AJPWPRFU]

Hahaha

[@robertcottam8824]

But the whole point of TMOs in New Zealand is to be cock-eyed. Otherwise they sulk. Witness the 2011 final against France...

[@vicentesalvador4406]

Jonhy Wilkinson masterclass

[@tgazza1587]

Bloody hell what a hit by little jason robinson on nonu at 1:21:49!!

[@louisjwiese5515]

Lesson: don't play a decent team without a proper goal kicker.

[@george474747]

In hindsight, the All Blacks' best players at the 2003 World Cup were their young ones. Mealamu (24), Williams (22), Collins (22), So'oailo (24), McCaw (22), Carter (21), Mauger (22), Nonu (21), Rokocoko (20), Blair (24), Muliaina (23)...

[@george474747]

Of that bunch, only McCaw & Mauger had more than 10 caps, none of them more than 15. If they'd dared to go even younger in their selection, I wonder if they could have won it.

[@martinluke9470]

The number of times NZ threw to their own players side on line outs.

[@ZEP0034]

Who could have 13 men and outclass NZ? Nobody but the best team ever imo as a unit.

[@darthmong7196]

Could Howlett be more offside for the try?

[@Kkpb-fh5vt]

Yes

[@robertcottam8824]

​@@Kkpb-fh5vt How? Without being in Svalbard, I mean...

[@fallofmanbrand]

great video bro

[@johnbrand439]

Howlett offside but what a great match. Why is the picture quality (at least on my screen) so poor?

[@PatrickKelly-lz3pv]

Its brilliant on my screen but i have never seen England play in that green strip.

[@davsavchav]

Ahh, Carter should have been subbed on from the bench

[@2511dhall]

3:24 is the start of the National of England and New Zealand.

[@jamesangus8504]

How much less dynamic and more brutal the game was then. Today’s teams would obliterate either of those sides.

[@aha3411]

Obviously that's how sports progression works

[@GlenWood47]

In my view great teams or individual players would adapt to the demands of any era. A big issue here would be modern refereeing. The try would have been disallowed for offside on review; many of the tackles would now be seen as high; the stamping on Lewsey's head might have been missed but the All Black would be cited.

[@johnhughes8466]

Not a chance! This England side would adapt to any era! One of the greatest rugby sides of them all!

[@ZEP0034]

This team would be as good as anyone.

[@lancedowns958]

england were awesome in 2003 best team that year coming from a kiwi

[@Boatdrink]

Barnes - “Didn’t want to say it, without sounding to partisan.” 🙈

[@paulm2467]

The legendary ‘white orcs on steroids’ the greatest forward pack of all time.

[@grahammitchell5444]

Yup. Throw in Phil Vickery, the 'Raging Bull', and they were the dog's proverbials!

[@grahammitchell5444]

Uh-oh-spaghettio! 13 men beat 15-oh!!!

[@Matakoshi]

I cannot understand how the All black player wasn't sent off for stamping (and jumping!) on Josh Lewsey's head, neck and back. Yes, England committed the foul but that doesn't negate the dangerous actions of the New Zealander...

[@jonnybaynham1689]

The game that, if it hadn't been proved in the 2 years' before, showed that this England side were the best in the world bar none. If only because the All Blacks are so dominant at Eden Park through history that getting a win there is very special.

[@sexioholico]

This game was played in Wellington. Eden Park is in Auckland.

[@hemicoupe2539]

This game was in wellington.

[@brownstephen8947]

are they in a pub

[@LockedDownSpectator]

It became clear there and then - and for about the fifth time - that England was destined to win the world cup and had no match in 2003.

[@KmT81]

Where was Dawson ?

[@Wolfsong27FlyHalfFullHeart]

If England can take the grand slam they can take the world championship, I wait with baited breath for 2022 six nations, England will bring the Webb Ellis cup back home one day

[@robertcottam8824]

Errrr.

[@brownstephen8947]

lol all the stamping and still lost

[@erinquinn215]

Rodney So'oialo missed the tackle that knocked NZ out of the 2007 World Cup

[@wcs1232]

Did we win

[@mrping4182]

WCS123 that would ruin the surprise! It is worth watching ;)

[@wcs1232]

@@mrping4182 good point

[@NZC_Meow]

I searched for cricket New Zealand vs England. Why did I get this? What is this game anyway? I expected to find 2019 cricket World Cup final. It was the greatest final in the history of cricket. No cricket fan will forget the line said by New Zealand commentator, "England won by the barest of margins." No one was happy with the decision because the match was a tie. They won by boundary count back. I'm from Bangladesh. I supported New Zealand. Cricket is Bangladesh's national sport.

[@Tagikakibau]

@@NZC_Meow Rugby > Cricket

[@robertcourt8593]

It's been good to watch this and compare it to the world cup semi final. As good as this was I don't think it comes close to the world cup game. We didn't really do much in attack here, we gave too many penalties away and was lucky Spencer missed so many and even in the final minute Thompson came in at the side of a ruck and should have been penalised. Still a great win though!

[@robertcourt8593]

Are you a kiwi by any chance?

[@AshboNZ86]

Even though he popped a hammy, Marshall was a bit greedy and went for the try when he should have passed to Ralph outside him. 😂

[@russe19642]

Howlett was offside

[@stephenbrown785]

If this isn't proof you need an 80% goalkicker at this level nothing is England had no right to win this but did thanks to Johnny

[@robertcottam8824]

Check out Anton Oliver's wiki entry. It's hilarious...

[@milz155]

England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 *Penalties:* J. Wilkinson

[@elliebarnes9628]

55:21 When you have the cheat code which allows throws that aren't straight.

[@agnostic47]

NZ have had the full book of cheat codes for years. The offside rules were rewritten because of their "lazy runners" continually obstructing around rucks and mauls.

[@noclue6554]

@@agnostic47 stop being sore Eddie jones tried to change a rule for the offside and they did that and lost to all blacks in 2018

[@brownstephen8947]

lol all your wrapping and still got beat lol

[@laurencepiper]

Jesus the commentary is poor.

[@wsurfa]

The constant stream of pish that is Stuart Barnes

[@GlenWood47]

Barnes is bad but catch the Kiwi commentators on the highlights video of this match, they are so bad they are comical.

[@non-masturbatingtyrannosau3476]

Typical ref not having the balls to penalise New Zealand

[@hardtohandleweddingbandent8653]

Yeah, don't mic up the haka, nobody is listening.

[@robertcottam8824]

Agreed. It's a dreadful folk dance.

[@hardtohandleweddingbandent8653]

@@robertcottam8824 Ah - we've found the one guy who prefers Kapa o Pango.

[@robertcottam8824]

@@hardtohandleweddingbandent8653 it's all the same to me, old boy. I never liked the 'Bacup Coconutters' nor the Helston Floral Dance either. All for a level playing field, really. My great-great grandad 'danced' in a 'thin, red streak tipped with stee*l' - wi some British guts behind it. Now that was a decent folk dance.

[@sagamauga8074]

1:21:56 Doug Howlett smokes Jason Robinson again😳

[@robertcottam8824]

And Jason is still WAY better. You won't find a rugby afficionado - either code to say otherwise...

[@sagamauga8074]

@@robertcottam8824 🤣🤣🤣

[@robertcottam8824]

@@sagamauga8074 Well, I suppose Douglett Hairnet - as the wallabies - called him DID have beautiful raven hair.💋💋💋💋

[@sagamauga8074]

@@robertcottam8824 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@grahammitchell5444]

@@robertcottam8824 Ain't that the truth.

[@annefilippobertozzi7601]

Swop the kickers, and nz would have won by 15 points.

[@robertcottam8824]

And swap the colour of the referee's knickers and NZ would have lost by a lot more...

[@11oshelbourne]

Terrible officiating. Great match

[@kevinstreet5709]

The Haka is racist and incites violence, imagine if the English did that

[@erinquinn215]

Rodney So'oialo is terrible at rugby

[@harryhunter1614]

He's a damn sight better at rugby than you are at spelling.

[@erinquinn215]

@@harryhunter1614 ahaha, fair play, I've corrected it

[@admiralbenbow5083]

I wish we would stop stroking ourselves over this one. By 2003 France had won 7 times in NZ including a 2-0 series win. We had won one.