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In November 2024, national team playmaker George Ford cut a dejected figure during the match.

Ford had been summoned from the bench to support England complete an historic victory facing the Kiwis, yet failed to convert a decisive kick and drop-goal as his side fell short in a close contest.

In the wake of those pivotal failures, Ford needed to put in effort to secure another chance to achieve success for the national side.

His playing time was limited to 25 minutes in the recent Six Nations however a series of impressive performances, notably in the summer tour versus Argentine and American teams while Fin Smith and Marcus Smith had departed for Lions team responsibilities, put him firmly back among starting candidates.

The 32-year-old fully validated the coach's trust through his selection versus New Zealand, but the Sale Sharks playmaker delivered a player-of-the-match performance to support the home team to a breakthrough triumph versus the Kiwis on home soil since 2012.

The crucial point came when Ford converted two drop-goals in succession right before half-time.

This assisted England recover from 12-0 down to narrow the gap to 12-11 at the break, prior to the coach's talented substitutes repeatedly excelled in the second half to support England to a comfortable 33-19 triumph.

"Credit must be given to the senior players within our side, particularly Ford," the coach stated. "That period where he hit those crucial kicks, he directed play just incredibly.

"Twelve months ago I thought George entered and performed really well [against New Zealand].

"A kick hit the post and he had a difficult drop-goal, however his play was outstanding.

"He's a tremendous guide, an outstanding athlete and an even better person. We are fortunate to have him in our squad."

Drop-kicks 'consistently planned'

The All Blacks commenced strongly during the match, racing into a 12-point lead with tries by Fainga'anuku and Taylor.

Subsequent to Ollie Lawrence's impressive score, Ford's back-to-back three-pointers meant the hosts returned to the changing rooms with renewed energy.

"The challenging thing in those moments is, when the scoreboard says a twelve-point deficit, we can stick to our strategy and what we believe the optimal approach to play the game is," Ford said.

"We worked our way back into the game and we recognized if we started the final period strongly, with substitutes entering, we were in a favorable situation.

"Despite having fifteen minutes to go, we found ourselves on our own line with a yellow card, so we had challenges during that phase also.

"I believe this illustrates elite competition requires - who can deal with those moments the best."

The two attempts occurred within a two-minute span as the fly-half who nailed three crucial kicks in a successful match facing the Argentine team in the last global tournament, displayed his complete 104-cap experience.

Ford successfully executed two three-pointers for Sale in a league contest conducted in challenging weather versus Bath - it is a skill he has mastered thoroughly.

"These attempts form part of our strategy," Ford added.

"The coach is such a phenomenal leader that he consistently advising me, and appropriately as three points is valuable at any stage of the game."

Ford marshalled his team superbly throughout the match the complete contest, making smart decisions - for both attacking and defensive purposes and identifying openings in the opposition's territory.

His signature high spiral kick additionally troubled Beauden Barrett, who mishandled the ball.

After beginning the national team's triumph against Australia on 1 November, Ford passed on the fly-half position to his replacement for the Fiji victory the following week.

Yet the most significant examination on paper this autumn occurred versus the experienced New Zealand team, so Ford returned to his position.

The English team, currently enjoying an unbeaten streak of ten, meet Argentina on 23 November creating intrigue to determine if the manager opts to Fin Smith or persists with Ford.

Regardless of the selection, Ford proved two years away prior to global competition that there is plenty of career ahead in him.