Mark Tele’a, the right winger for the All Blacks, twice slid his way to the try line to deliver the Kiwis a crucial 24–22 victory over England in a game of narrow margins.
Under head coach Scott Robertson, the Blues winger has had difficulty securing a starting berth this season, while Sevu Reece and Will Jordan have started numerous games at the right-wing position.
Given his performance at Allianz Stadium, Telea is probably going to get a shot next week in Dublin, when the All Blacks will need to sharpen their discipline and execution to defeat Ireland.
Telea’s ability to break tackles and find the try line impressed Robertson.
Robertson told reporters during the Test match at Allianz Stadium, “Mark Tele’a can score a try can’t he, he can finish, he’s just a world-class finisher who just knows how to get to the try line, slip and beat a couple of people and put the ball down, it’s a gift that he has.”
Tele’a made his debut for the All Blacks in 2022 following successful Super Rugby Pacific seasons with the Blues.
After a strong season with the All Blacks, which included two tries in the opening World Cup match against France, Tele’a was awarded World Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2023.
The reason for Tele’a’s two tries against England is because his teammates made room for him.
After the All Blacks triumph, Tele’a told reporters, “It’s huge for us and mostly what we were trying to achieve with this tour that we are on. Just credit to the boys finding the space for me and I was just trying to utilise it.”
Wallace Sititi, a standout loose forward for the All Blacks, proved the winger with an offload for his maiden try. Sititi had four offloads during the close game. After the game, Tele’a emphasised how crucial it is to always be prepared when Sititi has the ball.
“He’s a really skilled man, and they’re all very skilled. As a winger, you just aim to finish off offloads like that.
“You simply must remain near them; Kudos to Wallace (Sititi) and all the other boys who possess that ability.”
With 15 minutes remaining and England leading by eight points, the All Blacks leadership group urged their team to maintain composure and follow head coach Scott Robertson’s game plan.
“We were doing some good stuff out there, just some missed passes and knock-ons, so it was just keeping the boys’ confidence up and just trying to play the rugby we play. Don’t go into our shells, try and play.”
After 60 minutes, Tele’a was replaced by Damian McKenzie, but he returned to the right wing and scored the game-winning try in the 75th minute following a Beauden Barrett HIA.
Tele’a was aware that he needed to remain prepared in case an All Black back got hurt.
“I didn’t know what was going on upstairs, but I went off and was told to get back on, so I was taking the punches,” the statement continued.
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