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Back in November 2024, England fly-half George Ford appeared disappointed at Allianz Stadium.

Ford had been summoned off the sidelines to support the hosts secure a memorable triumph versus the All Blacks, however was unable to score a late penalty and drop-goal as his side fell short in a close contest.

After those expensive errors, Ford needed to put in effort to get another shot to bring victory to the English team.

He saw just 25 minutes of action in the recent Six Nations however a series of strong showings, especially during the summer matches versus Argentine and American teams when the Smith players were away on Lions tour commitments, put him firmly back among starting candidates.

The veteran player fully validated the coach's trust by selecting him versus New Zealand, plus the club standout produced a man-of-the-match display to assist the hosts to a first win against the All Blacks in their own stadium ending a drought dating to 2012.

The pivotal moment occurred as Ford converted consecutive drop-kicks immediately preceding halftime.

This enabled the English overcome a 12-0 deficit to reduce the margin to 12-11 at the break, ahead of the manager's skilled reserves once more performed in the second half to assist the team to a comfortable 33-19 victory.

"Recognition should be offered to the senior players on our squad, especially George," Borthwick told. "In that moment where he hit those drop-kicks, he controlled the match remarkably well.

"Twelve months ago I believed Ford entered and performed very effectively [against New Zealand].

"One kick struck the post while he attempted a difficult drop-goal, yet he performed excellently.

"He's an exceptional captain, a superb performer and an even finer individual. We are fortunate to have him within our roster."

Drop-kicks 'consistently planned'

The All Blacks commenced strongly at Allianz Stadium, racing into a 12-point lead through scores from two key players.

Subsequent to Ollie Lawrence's strong try, Ford's back-to-back drop-kicks meant the hosts bounced into the changing rooms with the momentum.

"The challenging thing at those times is, when the scoreboard says twelve to zero, we can stick to our guns and what we believe the best way to perform is," Ford stated.

"We fought our way back into contention and we understood should we begin the latter half effectively, as reserves joined, we were in an advantageous spot.

"Even with a quarter-hour remaining, we found ourselves on our own line after a penalty, meaning we faced difficulties there as well.

"I believe this illustrates Test rugby is - who can deal during those situations the best."

Both kicks happened within close succession while the number 10 who nailed three drop-kicks in a win against Argentina at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, displayed his complete international experience.

Ford hit two three-pointers for Sale during a Premiership match conducted in tough circumstances at Bath - it is a skill he has extensively practiced.

"The drop-kicks are consistently planned," Ford stated further.

"Borthwick represents an outstanding manager that he is always in my ear about it, and rightly so as three points are crucial throughout the match of play."

Ford directed his side brilliantly across the pitch the entire match, kicking smartly - both to compete and identifying openings behind the visitors' backfield.

His signature 'spiral bomb' additionally troubled Beauden Barrett, who couldn't collect.

Having started the national team's triumph against Australia on 1 November, Ford relinquished the starting role to Fin Smith for the Fiji victory a week later.

However the greatest challenge on paper this autumn occurred versus the experienced New Zealand team, and Ford reclaimed his starting role.

The English team, now on a run of 10 straight wins, play against Argentina in late November and it will be interesting to determine whether the coach returns with the alternative or maintains Ford.

Whichever decision is made, Ford proved ahead of the next tournament before the World Cup that there is plenty of play remaining within him.