All Blacks wrap up slam with win over England

England 6 New Zealand 32

England hit the self-destruct button once again as their most encouraging performance of the Investec Challenge Series ended in another record defeat.

New Zealand completed a historic third Grand Slam tour with their biggest Twickenham victory over England, whose indiscipline and inaccuracy cost them yet again.

England spent a remarkable 33 minutes of the match down to 14 men after having four players sin-binned and could have been on the end of a greater hiding had All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter not missed an uncharacteristic five kicks from 11 attempts.

England's endeavour kept them in touch until the final quarter when the All Blacks pulled clear, with full-back Mils Muliaina scoring two tries and man-of-the-match Ma'a Nonu adding a third.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw lifted the inaugural Hillary Shield, named after the mountaineer who made the first successful ascent of Everest in 1953.

England had faced their own mountainous task this week as they attempted to bounce back from their 42-6 defeat by South Africa against the number one ranked team in world rugby.

As manager Martin Johnson said in typically understated fashion in midweek: "It is a tall order".

Johnson will have taken significant positives from the performance - but when New Zealand went for the peak, England were left struggling in the foothills.

The result confirmed England will be in the second tier of the World Cup draw, when it is made in London on Monday.

The All Blacks' haka was drowned out by a stirring rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot from the Twickenham crowd, who roared England on to an encouraging start.

Nick Kennedy disrupted the All Blacks' first lineout and England succeeded in winning the vital quick ball that was missing against the Springboks.

A bulldozing run from Nick Easter through Ali Williams set England in motion and the All Blacks were on the ropes as Phil Vickery and James Haskell powered forward.

But England's execution in the 'red zone' let them down again, as it has done all series. Riki Flutey, perhaps smelling the chance of a try against his former countrymen, wasted the overlap and found himself isolated.

And so did their discipline. The All Blacks took the lead from their first real attack, created by a slithering run from Muliaina, as England began to frustrate Irish referee Alain Rolland.

Carter slotted the 14th-minute penalty after Danny Care was penalised for kicking the ball clear from the bottom of a ruck.

It was the start of slippery slope of indiscipline and the match was only 37 minutes old when referee Rolland warned England captain Steve Borthwick his side had reached "the point of no return".

By then, two England players had been sent to the sin-bin and two more could have been as the indiscipline that cost them dear against Australia returned.

Hooker Lee Mears was sin-binned after 28 minutes for brainlessly slowing the ball down and Care almost followed a minute later for diving over a ruck.

Carter somehow failed to punish England as sorely as Australia's Matt Giteau did, missing two simple shots, but the All Blacks edged into a 9-3 lead before Haskell joined Mears in the cooler.

The Wasps flanker caught Rodney So'oialo with a swinging arm, prompting referee Rolland to read the riot act to Borthwick for a third time. Carter extended the All Blacks' lead to 12-3 by the interval.

In between penalties, England played some of their best rugby of the autumn, winning quick ball to hit the All Blacks with enterprising endeavour.

And they began the second half in the same vein. Delon Armitage streaked clear straight from the kick-off and Easter galloped clear only to be denied a try by a desperate tap tackle from Muliaina.

England piled on the pressure, driving through 10 phases before Michael Lipman spilled the ball in contact as another golden opportunity went begging.

England suffered another body blow when Toby Flood halted Jimmy Cowan's blistering counter-attack with a high tackle and became the third red rose player in the sin-bin.

But they responded by showing the bite and urgency that Johnson demands from his side and it paid immediate dividends.

Ugo Monye and Jamie Noon earned England a scrum after isolating Joe Rokocoko with a brilliant kick chase and when Williams was penalised, Armitage slotted the penalty to make it 12-6.

England's hopes were raised further as Carter's struggles continued and he missed a third shot at goal - but then came the telling moment.

After dealing well with a counter-attack from Cowan and Nonu, England's scrum was driven off its own ball and Muliana was released to score in the corner.

Carter missed his conversion but pushed the All Blacks out of England's grasp with a fifth successful penalty.

Carter's skewed kick, intended for Rokocoko on the overlap, fell nicely into the arms of Muliaina, who dived over for his second try.

And when England's replacement prop, Tim Payne, was stripped of possession inside New Zealand's 22, the All Blacks launched a stunning counter-attack, with Keven Mealamu and Rokocoko sending Nonu clear for the try.

Suitably, England finished the afternoon down to 14 men after replacement flanker Tom Rees was penalised for another breakdown infringement.