Quote ="JEAN CAPDOUZE"BEST POSSIBLE NEW ZEALAND TEAM (barring injury):
This proves that a majority of their top 17 were missing from the New Zealand team.
England will have to perform much better in October to get close to the top New Zealand team.'"
You might be right, but if they were injured or just didn't want to play then that is not exactly England's fault - England can only play the team that turns up!
Perhaps NZ's missing will miraculously recover for the end of season tests, but NZ didn't exactly set the world alight in the World Cup! Perhaps they all prefer a winter in Hull/Liverpool/Leeds rather than a summer trip to Denver...
Personally I thought England dealt better with the conditions and put in a decent performance. Connor was excellent, as was Whitehead. I'd like to have seen Clark as an option for 9 rather than watching Bateman play 9 (back row and centre...the only thing missing was singing the national anthems though he couldn't have been much worse!).
To get 19k was a good effort though the size of the stadium didn't do RL any favours.