All Blacks will provide the shot clock for the second test after the McKenzie error.
For England’s second Test match against New Zealand, a shot clock will be in place in reaction to Damian McKenzie’s error that may have cost the All Blacks the series opener. McKenzie was setting up a late attempt at goal that, if it was successful, would have put the hosts ahead 19–15 at Forsyth Barr Stadium when he let the 60 seconds allotted to take a penalty to run down. The slip allowed England to mount a last-ditch attack, which they did not succeed in, but it became a huge talking point because of the possible consequences of McKenzie’s error.
The 60 seconds were signaled by referee Nika Amashukeli’s whistle, but as England attempts to tie the series at Eden Park on Saturday, goalies will now be able to see a countdown meter.
“NZ Rugby can confirm that, for this weekend’s Test match in Auckland, a shot clock will be televised and displayed on the stadium big screen. This will also apply to all home Test matches in 2024, according to a statement released by New Zealand Rugby. “The current process using the referee to communicate with the kicker has been successfully used in Super Rugby Pacific for the past two seasons and continues to be an effective way to monitor the time.”
As Steve Borthwick’s team wraps up an enormous 2023–24 season that started with World Cup training more than a year ago, George Furbank has been named England’s dangerous man in the attacking role. During the Six Nations, Furbank took Freddie Steward’s place as full-back, and he has rewarded Borthwick with a string of impressive performances. He was a formidable counterattacking weapon against the All Blacks in Dunedin, capable of breaking tackles and running risky lines. He was also a strong defender.
Stephen Perofeta, Furbank’s opposite number, commented, “Furbank was impressive, eh!” Perofeta was picked to start the opening Test for New Zealand instead of Beauden Barrett. “He had decent strength and sprinting ability on the contact side of things. To be honest, it ignited England’s onslaught. “That’s what we expected and it’s something that we will expect again this weekend.” Early on Thursday morning, England and New Zealand will announce their teams for the second of their two Test matches.
“There was quite an aggressive breakdown. There was a fight going on,” he said to the press. “We are aware that they have numerous ball-hawking threats, like Dalton Papali’i and Ardie Savea. Those two men pose a serious threat to safety. We had anticipated that, so it was important to be ready for it.”