Ford's Masterclass Seals Historic England Victory
England achieved their first victory over New Zealand at Twickenham since 2012 with a commanding 33-19 win that extended their winning run to ten successive Test matches. The standout performance came from fly-half George Ford, who delivered a man-of-the-match display that drew high praise from head coach Steve Borthwick.
Borthwick's Acclaim for Ford's Leadership
Steve Borthwick was effusive in his praise for George Ford following the matchwinner's exceptional performance at Allianz Stadium. "George is a brilliant player, an outstanding leader and an even better person. I have been privileged to work with him for a period of time," Borthwick stated.
The England coach specifically addressed Ford's transformation from last year's encounter, where he missed crucial kicks. "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. When he pulls on the England shirt he is just such a consistent performer."
Ford's contribution was decisive, with the Sale fly-half accumulating 13 points and providing the generalship his team desperately needed. This marked a significant improvement from his performance in the same fixture twelve months earlier, where he missed a late penalty and drop-goal that would have sealed victory.
Comprehensive Team Performance
The victory was built on tries from Ollie Lawrence, Sam Underhill, Fraser Dingwall and Tom Roebuck, demonstrating England's attacking prowess across the team. Despite the comprehensive scoreline, Borthwick believes there's even more to come from his squad.
"The most exciting thing I find for this team right now is that we left a load of points out there. There were loads of chances we didn't take," Borthwick revealed. "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."
The coach emphasised the significance of defeating the world's second-ranked side, stating this performance "tells me there's a huge amount of growth in this team."
Symbolic Haka Response Sets Tone
England signalled their intent from the outset with a powerful response to New Zealand's traditional haka. The team stood in a V formation, evoking memories of their 2019 World Cup semi-final clash where they similarly confronted the Maori war dance before demolishing the All Blacks 19-7.
Captain Maro Itoje explained the thinking behind their response: "As a group of leaders we came up with what you guys saw. I guess it was just our response to what they did. We were trying to achieve the same thing they were trying to achieve. The haka is a war dance they do to get themselves up for the game."
Itoje acknowledged the spiritual significance of the haka to New Zealand while emphasising that England's formation was designed to "show ourselves, the team and the Allianz Stadium that we're ready for the challenge."
All Blacks' Grand Slam Ambitions Dashed
The defeat ended New Zealand's hopes of completing a grand slam of victories against the home unions during their northern hemisphere tour. Captain Scott Barrett admitted the disappointment was significant for his team.
"The Grand Slam was a goal we set a few weeks ago but England pulled the rug from under us. It is hugely disappointing but we will have to bounce back," Barrett conceded.
The New Zealand captain credited England's efficiency, particularly noting that "England were pretty efficient when they get into our half in coming away with points. George Ford was pretty accurate with his drop goals and keeping that scoreboard ticking over."
Looking ahead, Borthwick indicated his team would enjoy this "great memory" before focusing on their next challenge against Argentina the following Sunday, aiming to create another positive result in what is becoming an increasingly impressive tenure for the England coach.
