Nigel Owens twice disallows England tries and All Blacks still lose!
Not once but twice Nigel Owens and his AR and TMO scuppered England.
The first incident was questionable, as Whitelock clearly chose to tackle the wrong man. Sam Underhill looked to have scored England’s second try but the TMO rules it out.
No try!@SGUnderhill looks to have scored England's second try but the TMO rules it out…Was it the right decision?#RWC2019 #ENGvNZL pic.twitter.com/jW1q8YPo65
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) October 26, 2019
The second was ridiculous, and a clear get out of jail free card for the rapidly declining All Blacks.
An England drive leading up the score was pinged by the TMO who ruled that control of the ball is lost in the maul.
A HUGE moment!
A probing drive from @EnglandRugby but the TMO rules out Youngs' try after control of the ball is lost in the maul
Is that the right call?#CarryThemHome #ITVRugby #RWC2019 #ENGvNZL pic.twitter.com/g1wCioVFH0
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) October 26, 2019
Of course there was the usual missed forward passes too and the refusal to send off Sam Whitelock.
He then gave Kieran ‘Constantly cheating’ Read a final warning that a yellow card was coming, but alas, the card never came.
We like Nigel Owens as ref, but he just doesn’t have the ability of the French refs to stand up the bully boy All Blacks, which is a shame.
England starting XV
15 Elliot Daly (Saracens, 37 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 40 caps)
13 Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers, 38 caps)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens, 77 caps) C
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers, 50 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 63 caps)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 93 caps)
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 56 caps)
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 43 caps)
3 Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 29 caps)
4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, 32 caps)
5 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 79 caps)
6 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 17 caps)
7 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 13 caps)
8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 49 caps)
Finishers
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 19 caps)
17 Joe Marler (Harlequins, 66 caps)
18 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 93 caps)
19 George Kruis (Saracens, 39 caps)
20 Mark Wilson (Sale Sharks 16 caps)
21 Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby, 8 caps)
22 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 25 caps)
23 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 45 caps)
