England secured a statement 33-18 victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham, with fly-half George Ford delivering a tactical masterclass that propelled his side to their tenth consecutive Test win this year.
Ford's Redemption Story
Twelve months after narrowly missing a match-winning kick in the same fixture, George Ford exorcised his demons with a commanding 13-point performance that included two crucial first-half drop goals. The victory marked England's first win over New Zealand in south-west London since 2012.
Head coach Steve Borthwick was effusive in his praise for the fly-half, describing him as "a brilliant player, an outstanding leader and an even better person." Borthwick emphasised Ford's consistency, noting "He made brilliant decisions and executed perfectly. I am pleased for him and all the players."
Turning the Tide
England found themselves trailing 12-0 early in the contest before Ford's tactical intelligence shifted the momentum. His two drop goals were executed with precision, a tactic he revealed was always part of the game plan. "Sometimes the drop goal is the way to go," Ford explained. "It's important to get rewards for the work the forwards are doing."
The match was also influenced by Maro Itoje's inspirational eve-of-game speech, which Borthwick revealed focused on reconnecting the players with their childhood dreams of representing England. Itoje's motivational words clearly resonated as England produced one of their most complete performances in recent memory.
Statement-Making Response
England made their intentions clear even before kickoff with a coordinated response to the All Blacks' traditional haka. Itoje explained the thinking behind their approach: "Our response was just to show ourselves, the team and the Allianz Stadium that we're ready for the challenge."
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson conceded his side had been beaten by the better team, acknowledging "They finished better than us. We had some really good opportunities we didn't take." Captain Scott Barrett paid tribute to England's defensive resilience, noting "You have got to take your hat off to England for their defence – it is a big part of their DNA."
For Borthwick and his squad, the victory represents more than just improved world rankings. This was about creating "special moments and special memories" that might inspire the next generation of English rugby players to pull on the white shirt.
