England v All Blacks 2003 - 13 man defense?

Question

Stories of how England turned over a scrum whilst down to 13 have become stuff of legend. Especially away, against the world's best attack.

Is this footage available on the net? Or available anywhere, for that matter? Thanks.

Answer 1

It did (and does) happen. However your question contains a suggestion you aren't quite aware of what was going on, ...turned over a scrum...

There are many scrums in most games but there is plenty of play that isn't involving scrums.

A scrum involves 8 of the 15 players on the field pushing against each other. If a team (as England did) has a player sent off and that player is normally in the scrum, then when a scrum is called another player (a 'back') is told to get in there to help. In other words there is always 8 players in the scrum against 8 on the other side.

The player who is sent off is usually off the paddock for 10 minutes only - not the whole game.

In this game England had 2 men sent off at different times for illegal play. However the key factor in England's ultimate success was better captaincy. The sending off resulted in a penalty for NZ which could have easily been converted into 3 points by kicking a goal from straight in front of the posts. However the NZ captain, thinking they had the choice of an easy scrum win and a good chance of a more valuable score, opted for the scrum rather than the kick at goal. At the time I thought this was a stupid decision.

Anyway, almost always NZ would have won the scrum (and maybe scored from the resulting play) - but sometimes, just sometimes, the other side gets the timing of their push dead right and win 'against the head'. This happened here and England cleared their line.

Then the more experienced England captain (and team) used many, perfectly legal, delaying tactics to slow down all subsequent play to see out the 10 minutes before they were back to full strength.

You never know what would have happened if..., but the 3 points turned down by NZ would have changed the final result.

As for the main part of your question I don't know where you can see the game.

Answer 2

There is nothing more exciting than watching the super entertaining English side play their running brand of football.

Or is that the Soccer team - Ah Yes

The England rugby side bores even the fervent rugby fan to tears with their never ending obstructions and wall to wall boring football.

Great answer from gunfan

Answer 3

Sky TV New Zealand. would have had the tv rights to the tv coverage. I am sure the will sell a video of the game to you.

P.S. the All Blacks broke the cardinal rule of test rugby that day.  You always take the points scoring oportunity with the lowest risk of failure. Trouble is rugby at the professional level in the southern hemisphere is all about exciting fast flowing football. The players seem to have trouble adjusting their tactics to test football.

How ever the ABs are still the finest rugby team in the world.

Yes i am an All Black fan forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

The All Blacks returned the favour in 2005 when they were down to 13 at Twickenham and held the English scoreless.