England captain Jamie George believes that there are "hugely exciting times ahead" for Steve Borthwick's side despite their 2-0 series defeat to New Zealand.
One week on from a valiant effort in Dunedin, where the All Blacks prevailed 16-15, England gave another brilliant account of themselves at Eden Park but ultimately fell to a 17-24 loss.
Borthwick made just the one alteration to his XV from the one-point defeat on July 6, as Fin Baxter was introduced in place of Joe Marler, and the 2003 World Cup winners found themselves in the ascendancy at the break.
An 11th-minute Mark Telea try preceded an almost instant response from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, before Tommy Freeman went over right on the stroke of the break after a pair of Damian McKenzie penalties.
Marcus Smith - whose kicking let him down on a couple of occasions last weekend - converted both times to propel England into a 14-13 lead, and the fly-half's 49th-minute penalty saw the visitors establish a four-point advantage.
With 20 minutes remaining, England were on course to inflict the All Blacks' first defeat at Eden Park since 1994, only for Telea's second try of the game to restore the hosts' lead before two final McKenzie penalties put a Beauden Barrett-inspired New Zealand out of sight.
FULL TIME!
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 13, 2024
Late TMO drama denies England and New Zealand secure back-to-back victories 🤝 pic.twitter.com/CcMMdMou8h
The All Blacks' success was not without controversy, though, as Ollie Lawrence was penalised for a late obstruction in England's final attacking play as Scott Robertson's New Zealand reign began on a high note.
Nevertheless, the visitors' performance was one to be proud of, according to captain George, who told Sky Sports News: "We're a significantly better team than when we started and there are hugely exciting times ahead for this England team.
"We'll welcome New Zealand back to Twickenham in November and we look forward to that, but I don't think there is a ceiling in this team. You look at the age demographic, hugely talented guys who are desperate to learn, and it's an absolute pleasure to be a part of."
George's sentiment was echoed by head coach Borthwick, who added: "I think they'll be rightly proud of their efforts. The team is progressing. Clearly we've got work to do to get to where we want to be, but we're making steps forward."
What next for England after All Blacks defeat?
England will have a shot at avenging their series loss against New Zealand in just over three months' time, when they begin a quadruple-header at Twickenham when they host the All Blacks on November 2.
Borthwick's team then pit their wits against Australia seven days later, before subsequent meetings with South Africa and Japan on November 16 and 24 respectively.
Ben Knapton
