England left kicking themselves after agonising defeat against All Blacks

There is a chance for England to tie the two-Test series, but during a chilly night at the southern tip of the South Island, they were reminded of a long-standing rugby lesson. To defeat New Zealand on their home turf, you must perform at your highest level, and not seizing your chances will most likely lead to defeat.

Even though England played bravely, with strong dedication and constant enthusiasm, they will realize they let this game slip through their fingers. In a close match, three missed kicks by Marcus Smith, including one that was nearly straight in front of the goal posts, gave New Zealand the opportunity to secure a narrow win. This means the Hillary Shield will remain in the southern hemisphere for now.

England continued to push forward even after the game was over. In the end, two penalties from Damian McKenzie in the second half secured a win for the All Blacks under their new head coach, Scott “Razor” Robertson. If the team can keep winning close games, we can expect to see many more headlines praising their sharp performance in the coming months.

England must be feeling extremely disappointed. They were so close to achieving their third Test win in New Zealand, with the last one being 21 years ago. This seemed like a great opportunity for them. The All Blacks have not been defeated in Auckland since 1994, so beating them next Saturday will be even more challenging than it was in this match.

In the coming days, they will need to improve on some areas where they are lacking. New Zealand's ability to counter-ruck and efficiency at the breakdown is better than theirs. England struggled in the scrum, and although Smith showed enthusiasm, his goalkicking was not up to his own high standards. The substitutes on the bench were unable to provide the necessary boost during the last quarter of the game, which could have made a difference at this competitive level.

Close but no cigar. Once again, England found themselves in a familiar position, reminiscent of their World Cup semi-final loss to South Africa last October. This new-look team still has room to grow and improve. Despite the bold move of standing up to the haka before the match, New Zealand showed their superior skill in converting opportunities, while England failed to capitalize on their chances. Players like Maro Itoje, Ben Earl, and George Furbank put in a solid effort but ultimately deserved a better outcome.

The idea of missed opportunities was a major focus in the beginning of the game. Smith failed to make his first penalty kick and a mistake in the lead-up prevented England from potentially scoring with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Instead, the All Blacks were the first to score, thanks to a well-placed kick by McKenzie that led to Sevu Reece scoring after breaking through Tommy Freeman's tackle.

There wasn't much rest at the scrums, but the red rose team found a lot of relief when Itoje scored after sustained pressure near the goal line. Smith's successful conversion briefly put his team in the lead. However, Joe Marler had to leave the game with a foot injury in the first quarter, which meant the young Fin Baxter had to step in for his very challenging Test debut.

The rugby team from New Zealand is very smart and they know when is the best moment to take advantage. They saw an opportunity after a missed tackle and Ardie Savea happily seized it to score in the corner. England's aggressive defensive style can work well in restricting the opponent's options, but it can also leave them vulnerable to quick counterattacks.

Even though the visitors had some tense moments, the teams were tied at half-time. Smith scored a penalty after the hooter, when Scott Barrett was penalized for not releasing the ball on the ground, which brought the score to 10-10. This allowed the England coaching staff to remind their players of the opportunity still available to them.

The messages worked as intended. Despite Smith missing a clear penalty opportunity in front of the goalposts, England started to show more threat when attacking. Despite a couple of unsuccessful attempts to move forward, the ball was eventually passed to Feyi-Waboso on the left, who scored a try to secure another strong performance.

The level of competition became even more intense as McKenzie successfully scored a penalty kick, causing the crowd in the indoor stadium with its distinctive roof to get even louder. This brought the score to 15-13.

Not all fans of the All Blacks are known for being the most vocal in sports. While they may not create a loud environment in Dunedin, they can recognize when a match is becoming more intense.

Despite another penalty from McKenzie putting the home team in the lead again, the game was still up for grabs. However, England had replaced both half-backs by this point, and their fate rested on inexperienced players. Although they had a chance to stay in the game when McKenzie ran out of time lining up a penalty, it was not enough. Once again, this season did not end with a fairytale finish.