"After finally scaling Mount Everest with Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953 the first person Edmund Hillary encountered on his descent was his longtime climbing friend, George Lowe. Well, George, Hillary said, we knocked the bastard off. Which is basically how England's captain, Maro Itoje, and his team felt on Saturday having lifted the Hillary Shield, named in honour of the indomitable New Zealander who conquered the world's most famous summit."
"English rugby's ultimate Everest is still up ahead of them, of course, in the form of the 2027 World Cup, but this was their South Col moment. And while a first home win against the All Blacks since 2012 and their secondhighest margin of victory in this 120-year-old fixture will both be sources of satisfaction there was also a powerful sense that their upwardly mobile trek is far from complete."
"Their optimism is not simply fuelled by 10 wins on the spin, nor the coming of age of outstanding young prospects such as Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Rather it is the depth of belief that England are beginning to build, their growing composure regardless of situation or opposition and the leadership example that is now revealing itself."
England beat New Zealand at home, lifting the Hillary Shield and recording their first home win over the All Blacks since 2012 with one of the largest margins in the fixture's history. The result carried symbolic weight, likened to a South Col moment, yet greater objectives—most notably the 2027 World Cup—remain. The team exhibits increasing belief, composure and leadership under captain Maro Itoje, bolstered by emerging talents including Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Confidence stems from sustained winning form and leadership examples rather than isolated results, while concerns persist about New Zealand's decline and South Africa's superiority.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]