2019 Rugby World Cup: Anthony Watson shows stunning sportsmanship after All Blacks crash out of World Cup

Name: Beyond the Game - RWC 2019 - SF New Zealand v England
Uploaded: 2019-10-26T21:52:56+13:00
Duration: 1391 s
Description: Join host Alex Chapman with special guests Buck Shelford & Michaela Blyde as they review the New Zealand v England semi-final. VIDEO/Spark Sport/RWC/Mark Mitchell/allblacks.com/Photosport/Gettyimages

NZ Herald

26 Oct, 2019 11:38 PM2 mins to read

Join host Alex Chapman with special guests Buck Shelford & Michaela Blyde as they review the New Zealand v England semi-final. VIDEO/Spark Sport/RWC/Mark Mitchell/allblacks.com/Photosport/Gettyimages

England have won the battle - and may have also won hearts - with their performance during and immediately after the Rugby World Cup semifinal against the All Blacks in Yokohama City.

In what could be one of the lasting images from the tournament, English winger Anthony Watson was photographed consoling a dejected All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown on the International Stadium pitch.

Watson and his teammates had just shocked the All Blacks 19-7 to send the back-to-back champions crashing out and ending their campaign in search of a historic three-peat.

In the image, Watson has his hand on Lienert-Brown's shoulder while a bloodied All Blacks flanker Sam Cane is seen on his knees.

Other photos showed England stars being similarly gracious in victory to dejected All Blacks.

New Zealand's Jordie Barrett is consoled after New Zealand is defeated by England. Photo / AP

Earlier in the week, Watson fired a barb at the All Blacks claiming that he never bought into the All Blacks' "aura".

"I was never too fazed by the whole mystique of the All Blacks. I respect the prolonged success they've had as a team, but the whole aura that surrounds them and the invincible stuff – I never bought into that. They are rugby players and we're rugby players. We work very hard and they work very hard. They are definitely beatable.

"I believe I had that mindset before: that they were beatable. The boys came close to beating them in November."

All Blacks captain Kieran Read and his teammates after crashing out of the World Cup with defeat to England in the semifinal. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Watson had earlier warned that England's mental game would be a major point of difference ahead of the final - following their comprehensive quarter-final victory against Australia.

"We will not let the occasion of the game dictate anything to us," he said. "I thought we did that very well last weekend and that was managed by our leaders like Owen [Farrell], Maro [Itoje] and Mako [Vunipola]. Guys like that were on it all week and it will be the same again this week."