England downs New Zealand at Twickenham and ends All Blacks' Grand Slam hopes

LONDON (AP) — England defeated New Zealand for the first time at Twickenham in 13 years, winning 33-19 to end the All Blacks' Grand Slam hopes on Saturday.

England was behind 12-0 early but rallied impressively with 25 straight points and 33 of the last 40 for a crushing milestone result.

A 10th straight win since February — England's longest streak in nearly a decade — was also the most esteemed yet in coach Steve Borthwick's three-year reign.

England beat the All Blacks infrequently, only nine times in 120 years.

“The most exciting thing I find for this team right now is that we left a load of points out there,” Borthwick said. "We got held up over the goal-line and there were a couple of knock-ons in the 22 when it looked like we were about to score.

“That tells me there's a huge amount of growth in this team because we were playing the No. 2 side in the world. We'll enjoy this, it's another great memory that the players have made and then we'll go on to next Sunday and try and make another memory against Argentina.”

Meanwhile, the All Blacks' bid to sweep the home unions for the first time in 15 years, after beating Ireland and Scotland, was blown away.

“England pulled the rug from under us. It is hugely disappointing,” All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said.

Will Jordan's 45th test try lifted them to within six points with 15 minutes to go but even with Ben Earl in the sin-bin England finished strong.

A George Ford penalty gave England a decisive nine-point gap with five to go and winger Tom Roebuck put the cherry on top with a late try from a dropped All Blacks pass.

Ford was named the man of the match, a year after the flyhalf was booed off Twickenham for missing a late penalty and drop goal in a two-point loss to the All Blacks.

“I know you like to talk about 12 months ago and the ball hitting a post, but he came on 12 months ago and played really well, as he always does for England,” Borthwick said. “When he pulls on the England shirt he is just such a consistent performer.”

Ford, picked at flyhalf ahead of British and Irish Lions Fin Smith and Marcus Smith for his greater experience and composure, was three of five off the tee but it was his two drop goals before halftime that gave England boosts of hope and energy.

The double drops lifted England to within one point at halftime, and three minutes after the break they were finally ahead on Sam Underhill's try converted by Ford.

Ford had a try scrubbed by an offside penalty but even after New Zealand hooker Codie Taylor returned from the sin-bin, Fraser Dingwall blew over the try-line running off his midfield partner Ollie Lawrence.

New Zealand took advantage of Earl's yellow card for Jordan's converted try but England finished the match as it started, on fire.

England met the haka in a U formation and enjoyed a lively start, though it was well contained by New Zealand.

The All Blacks were clinical at the other end, easily getting wide of England with big passes by Beauden Barrett and Quinn Tupaea for tries by Leicester Fainga'anuku and Taylor in a four-minute span.

But England's attack was transformed by the passing skills of Marcus Smith, who replaced Freddie Steward after the fullback suffered a head knock.

Winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was unleashed and Lawrence busted two tackles to score and England was on its way.

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

England Ollie Lawrence breaks away to score a try during the rugby union Nations Series match between England and New Zealand in London, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

England George Ford, center, runs to score a try during the rugby union Nations Series match between England and New Zealand in London, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

England Fraser Dingwall scores a try during the rugby union Nations Series match between England and New Zealand in London, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

England Fraser Dingwall, right, celebrates with teammate Marcus Smith, after scoring a try during the rugby union Nations Series match between England and New Zealand in London, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, killing 25 people, including tourists, the state’s chief minister said Sunday.

The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been recovered.

The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, it said.

Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said.

The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said.

Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. The state government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, he said, adding that authorities would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the violations.

Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire "deeply saddening# and said he spoke with Sawant. Modi said the government “is providing all possible assistance” while offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.

“This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post. He called for a transparent probe to "fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don’t occur again.”

The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.

The charred interiors of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, are seen in Arpora, Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)