England’s narrow defeat by New Zealand shows Eddie Jones’s side have turned around poor year

England may have lost Saturday’s match against New Zealand, but the fact the majority of the 82,149 people left Twickenham disappointed shows just how much Eddie Jones has turned things around.

Ahead of the autumn internationals the prevailing mood was more pessimistic than optimistic. England had endured a difficult 2018, failing in the Six Nations before a chastening tour of South Africa which threw up more questions than answers.

With a raft of injuries to senior players to also consider, the task of replaying the Springboks and facing the All Blacks, as well as Japan and Australia, looked a daunting one.

Yet at the halfway stage of a testing month England have begun to self-right, turning a difficult position into an upward trajectory.

After an ugly yet gutsy 12-11 win over South Africa, they produced an admirable showing to run the world’s No1 side close but come out on the wrong side of another one-point margin.

Strangely, England and their fans will take more pride, pleasure and hope going forward out of the defeat. Sometimes the result isn’t everything.

“We needed a slump to reignite ourselves and we’ve done that,” Jones said post-match and it’s hard to argue with him.

England were confident in their game-plan, dogged, organised and unfazed by the All Blacks. Having spent 80 minutes the previous week not looking like they’d score a try, it took just two against the best side in the world.

Chris Ashton, put in the side to provide cutting edge, scored on his first start in over four years from Ben Youngs’s quick thinking and England maintained their momentum to monopolise the scoring early on.

Ashton’s impact was enjoyable but their second try was even more promising as a catch-and-drive rumbled over the line with co-captain Dylan Hartley holding the ball. England led 15-0 and braced themselves for the onslaught they knew would come.

New Zealand are masters of the comeback, having lost just four of the 20 games they’ve trailed at half-time since the 2011 World Cup, and they didn’t disappoint as Damian McKenzie’s try and Beauden Barrett’s boot edged them into the lead.

But despite not having scored a point since the 25thminute, England didn’t cave into the pressure; they reset and recharged and came again, with Farrell winning territory via his boot and Sam Underhill via his bulldozing carries.

They were left pondering what what ifs. What if Farrell had kicked the available points, rather than opt for the line-out? What if Jamie George had found his man? What if the TMO had seen the Courtney Lawes offside differently for Underhill’s disallowed late try? And what if the Northampton lock hadn’t thrown an inaccurate pass in the build-up to a Farrell drop goal attempt?

Jones’s reaction to the TMO’s crucial decision said a lot about how much pressure has been lifted from his shoulders.

“Sometimes the game loves you and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said. “It always balances out.”

A match-winning try for Underhill would have been fitting, given the level of the openside flanker’s display. The 22-year-old was exceptional, his mix of mobility and physicality allowing him to seemingly be everywhere at once. Although his try didn’t count he won’t forget his shimmy to throw Barrett off the scent.

As it is, England will have to make do with a morale-boosting defeat in which they found their attacking verve, in which the inexperienced pack went toe-to-toe with the best in the business and in which they came a whisker away from a famous win.

England may have lost the battle, but they might yet win the war.