All Blacks edge England in dramatic ending at Twickenham

LONDON (AP) — England's George Ford missed two last-gasp shots at goal and New Zealand held on to win a dramatic but scrappy autumn rugby series opener 24-22 at Twickenham on Saturday.

A brilliant solo try by wing Mark Tele'a, converted from the sideline by Damian McKenzie, regained New Zealand a two-point lead with three minutes to go.

But then Anton Lienert-Brown was sin-binned for a head-on-head tackle and Ford lined up an angled penalty kick from 40 meters with two to go.

It rebounded off the right post.

The hosts got a scrum in the 22, though, with the sell-out crowd of 82,000 baying England on, but New Zealand spoiled the scrum, and a rushed drop goal attempt by Ford after the 80-minute hooter flew well wide.

The All Blacks completed a hat trick of wins against England this year, the margins by a combined 10 points.

“I didn't think we had that in the end. We got lucky with the penalty kick, but rugby is a game of fine margins and we will take it,” All Blacks No. 8 Ardie Savea told TNT Sports.

“For us to stay in it and defend the goal-line like that, I'm very proud of the boys. England's pack were bringing line speed and they were putting big shots on us. Glad to get the win.”

England was denied a first home win over the All Blacks since 2012 despite perfect kicking off the tee by Marcus Smith, who went six for six for 17 points.

The result was a setback to England hopes of improving on closing out tight games. It has lost four tests by seven or less this year, has a 4-5 win-loss record, and Australia, South Africa and Japan to come.

Coach Steve Borthwick defended replacing Smith with Ford, and rued losing by “the width of a post.”

“We didn't get the win we wanted but I think everyone can see this team is developing into a very strong team,” Borthwick said. “Ultimately this is the width of the post. That's the reality. It is the width of the post that the result goes one way or the other.”

Joe Marler's anti-haka comments dominated the buildup but the inactive England prop came to the game and was seen having a pre-match laugh with All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. The haka saw England advance shoulder to shoulder to halfway and the All Blacks advance as well within spitting distance to set the stage.

Smith kicked the first points and New Zealand replied with its first try when Wallace Sititi's offload with two defenders on him freed Tele'a into the right corner.

New Zealand responded to another Smith penalty with its second try. Will Jordan scissored off Beauden Barrett and raced 30 meters for his 36th try in his 38th test.

New Zealand led 14-6 after 30 minutes but while it was creating more, it was also making the most mistakes and allowing England to stay in touch.

The All Blacks conceded eight of the nine penalties in the first half, two in the scrum that was so reliable in the Rugby Championship but critically missing loosehead prop Ethan de Groot, who wasn't selected after breaching team rules.

Smith kicked England within two by halftime and the game was following the script of the two close July tests in New Zealand.

Winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso underlined it moments into the new half when he achieved a try in every match against New Zealand this year, finishing off Smith's intercept on his own 22.

Smith's fifth penalty gave England a 22-14 lead to start the last quarter, and he was replaced by Ford, who was given his first match in five weeks after a thigh tear, to shepherd England home.

McKenzie came on for Tele'a and nailed his first goalkick in the 67th. But Tele'a was already back on after Beauden Barrett needed a head injury check.

With tension rising, the All Blacks forced a kickable penalty with five minutes to go but tapped it. Tele'a was on the end of a chain with the England defense covering but he shrugged off Ford and carried Harry Randall over the try-line.

McKenzie's equally remarkable touchline conversion put New Zealand in front but then its year-long discipline issues reared up when Lienert-Brown was yellow-carded.

But Ford couldn't seize his chances.

"I tell you what, he hasn’t missed many in his career so we certainly can't blame him for that,” captain Jamie George said.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

England's Joe Marler looks on from the side lines during the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

New Zealand's head coach Scott Robertson, centre, watches on as players line up ahead of the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

New Zealand's players perform the haka ahead of the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

New Zealand's Mark Tele'a, front, scores a try as England's Ellis Genge tries to tackle him during the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

New Zealand's Will Jordan, left, breaks away to score a try during the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso celebrates after scoring a try during the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scores a try during the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

England's Marcus Smith, right, kicks the Balla as New Zealand's Sam Cane tries to defend during the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

New Zealand's players celebrates at the end of the Autumn Nations Series rugby match between England and New Zealand, at Twickenham stadium, in London Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s National Guard fatally shot two Colombians and wounded four others in what the Defense Department claimed was a confrontation near the U.S. border.

The shootings happened Saturday on a dirt road near Tecate, east of Otay Mesa on the California border, that is frequently used by Mexican migrant smugglers, the department said.

It wasn't clear whether the Colombians were migrants, but one Colombian who was not injured in the shootings was turned over to immigration officials, suggesting they were.

Mexico’s Defense Department, which controls the National Guard, did not respond to requests for comment on that point.

If they were migrants, it would mark the second time in just over a month that military forces have opened fire on and killed migrants.

On Oct. 1, the day President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, soldiers opened fire on a truck, killing six migrants in the southern state of Chiapas. An 11-year-old girl from Egypt, her 18-year-old sister and a 17-year-old boy from El Salvador died in that shooting, along with people from Peru and Honduras.

Describing the events near Tecate on Saturday, the Defense Department said in a statement late Sunday that a militarized National Guard patrol came under fire after spotting two trucks in the area.

One truck sped off and escaped. The National Guard opened fire on the other truck, killing two Colombians and wounding four others. There was no immediate information on their conditions, and there were no reported casualties among the guardsmen involved.

One Colombian and one Mexican man were found and detained unharmed at the scene, and the departments said officers found a pistol and magazines commonly used for assault rifles at the scene.

Colombians have sometimes been recruited as gunmen for Mexican drug cartels, which are also heavily involved in migrant smuggling. But the fact the survivor was turned over to immigration officials and that the Foreign Relations Department contacted the Colombian consulate suggests they were migrants.

Cartel gunmen sometimes escort or kidnap migrants as they travel to the U.S. border.

The three National Guard officers who opened fire have been taken off duty.

Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who left office Sept. 30, gave the military an unprecedentedly wide role in public life and law enforcement; he created the militarized Guard and used the combined military forces as the country’s main law enforcement agencies, supplanting police. The Guard has since been placed under the control of the army.

But critics say the military is not trained to do civilian law enforcement work. Moreover, lopsided death tolls in such confrontations — in which all the deaths and injuries occur on one side — raise suspicions among activists whether there really was a confrontation.

For example, the soldiers who opened fire in Chiapas — who have been detained pending charges — claimed they heard “detonations” prior to opening fire. There was no indication any weapons were found at the scene.

FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, center, reviews the troops with Defense Minister Gen. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, left, and Navy Secretary Alt. Raymundo Pedro Morales, at Campo Marte in Mexico City, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)