2019 Rugby World Cup live updates: Reaction to the All Blacks' semifinal defeat to England

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 08:11 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

Follow all the reaction from the All Blacks' shock Rugby World Cup semifinal defeat to England.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen offered no excuses for his side's Rugby World Cup semifinal exit, graciously paying tribute to England's superiority.

England stunned the All Blacks with relentless physicality and superb defensive line speed to reach their first World Cup final for 12 years.

Their 19-7 victory in Yokohama could have been more commanding but for two tries they rightly had called back by the TMO.

For Hansen and the All Blacks, this is a cruel way to end the quest for three successive World Cup titles.

Hansen was there as assistant coach alongside Graham Henry and Wayne Smith in 2011 and he then took charge to guide the All Blacks to their 2015 triumph.

Now he endures the pain of losing a semifinal.

"Firstly, congratulations to England," Hansen said. "They were deserved winners tonight. You had two very good sides going at each other. The team that took the game, won the game. We've got no regrets I'm very proud of the All Blacks. Tonight we got beaten by a better side.

"I wish England the best for what's ahead of them.

"The boys are desperately hurting, as are the management. They're a good team, there's no shame in losing to them."

Hansen accepted responsibility for the one tactical change he made to the All Blacks starting side, having pushed Scott Barrett into blindside and benching Sam Cane in order to target England's lineout.

The move did not pay off as expected, with England dominating the lineout to the point they snaffled two from the All Blacks throws while their twin opensides Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, together with lock Maro Itoje, killed the breakdown.

"If I turn around and say it backfired Scott is going to feel pretty average so I'm not going to say that. I'll take that one on the chin. Scotty came out and played the best he could but did we want to win more lineout ball, yeah we did. It takes more than one person to do that.

"If we had our time again we might consider doing something different."

After losing their first World Cup game since 2007, the All Blacks are now forced to contest the third and fourth playoff, as they did in 2003 and 1999.