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In November 2024, England fly-half Ford appeared disappointed at Allianz Stadium.

He was called upon from the bench to assist the hosts secure a memorable triumph against New Zealand, yet missed a crucial penalty along with a drop-kick as England lost in a close contest.

In the wake of those pivotal failures, Ford had to work hard to get another shot at delivering glory for the national side.

He played only 25 minutes in the recent Six Nations but a string of excellent displays, particularly on the summer matches against Argentina and the USA while Fin Smith and Marcus Smith were absent for Lions tour commitments, put him firmly back in the starting mix.

The veteran player fully validated the coach's trust by selecting him facing the Kiwis, plus the club standout achieved a best-player showing to help the hosts to a first win versus the Kiwis on home soil for the first time since 2012.

The decisive instant in the game Ford nailed back-to-back drop-goals immediately preceding halftime.

This enabled the English bounce back from being down 12-0 to narrow the gap to 12-11 at the break, ahead of the manager's skilled reserves again delivered in the second half to assist the team to a convincing 33-19 triumph.

"You have to give credit to the veteran members on our squad, especially George," the manager commented. "During that phase when he converted those drop-kicks, he controlled the match absolutely brilliantly.

"Twelve months ago In my view George substituted and competed really well [against New Zealand].

"One kick struck the post and he had a difficult drop-goal, but he played really well.

"He's an exceptional captain, an outstanding athlete and an even better person. We are fortunate to have him within our roster."

Drop-kicks 'consistently planned'

New Zealand started quickly in the stadium, building a twelve-point advantage through scores from two key players.

Subsequent to Ollie Lawrence's strong try, Ford's back-to-back drop-kicks meant the hosts returned to the locker room with renewed energy.

"The tough part in those moments is, when the scoreboard says a twelve-point deficit, we can stick to our plan and our philosophy the best way to perform is," Ford stated.

"We got ourselves back into the game and we understood should we begin the second half well, as reserves joined, we were in a favorable situation.

"Even with fifteen minutes to go, we ended up near our try line following a card, meaning we faced difficulties during that phase also.

"I believe this illustrates Test rugby is - who manages best in those circumstances most effectively."

The two attempts occurred within close succession as Ford who nailed three drop-kicks during a victory against Argentina at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, showed all his 104-cap experience.

Ford successfully executed two three-pointers with Sale in a Prem game occurring during difficult conditions versus Bath - this represents an ability he is well-practised in.

"It [the drop-goals] is always in the plan," Ford added.

"Steve is such an incredible coach since he continually in my ear about it, and rightly so as three points are crucial throughout the match of competition."

Ford guided England excellently around the field the complete contest, making smart decisions - for both attacking and defensive purposes and locating gaps in the opposition's territory.

His trademark 'spiral bomb' further confused the opposing fullback, who mishandled the ball.

Following his start in the English victory versus the Wallabies during the autumn series, Ford handed over the starting role to Fin Smith for the Fiji victory a week later.

However the greatest challenge in terms of difficulty came against the experienced New Zealand team, with Ford regaining his position.

England, presently maintaining 10 straight wins, play against Argentina in late November and it will be interesting to learn if Borthwick goes back to Fin Smith or persists with Ford.

Regardless of the selection, Ford demonstrated ahead of the next tournament prior to global competition that ample opportunity of play remaining within him.