England produced one of the standout performances of the Steve Borthwick era as they overturned a shaky start to defeat New Zealand 33–19 at a feverish Allianz Stadium. Having fallen 12 points behind inside the opening 20 minutes, England rediscovered their composure, tightened their discipline and struck with four tries to record just their ninth victory over the All Blacks in more than a century of meetings.
A sell-out crowd of 81,953 had braced for another tense, possession-trading arm-wrestle between the old rivals. Instead, they witnessed England seize control. Tom Roebuck’s 78th-minute try, chased down after a loose ball broke free, sealed a win already built on ferocious defence, forward authority and the steady hand of George Ford.
New Zealand had landed early blows through Leicester Fainga’anuku and Codie Taylor, capitalising on England’s sloppy restart work and defensive disorganisation. Will Jordan’s incisive running repeatedly stretched England, and when Taylor finished on the opposite wing, the All Blacks were cruising at 12–0.
England, though, gradually found their rhythm. Marcus Smith’s introduction sharpened their attack, and after Ben Earl burst into space, Ollie Lawrence powered through two defenders to get England on the board. With momentum shifting, Ford calmly took over: two expertly judged drop goals dragged the deficit back to a single point by half-time and hinted at England’s growing control.
The second half belonged to Borthwick’s side. New Zealand suffered for their own indiscipline when Taylor slapped the ball from Smith’s hands, earning a yellow card. England needed no second invitation. Alex Mitchell darted close, Sam Underhill finished the move, and Ford’s conversion edged them in front for the first time. Moments later, a beautifully executed line-out play saw Lawrence draw in defenders before releasing Fraser Dingwall to sprint in England’s third try.
Although Jordan’s late score, combined with Ben Earl’s yellow card, threatened to tighten the contest, England’s bench steadied the occasion. Ford’s penalty restored a two-score cushion, and Roebuck’s poacher’s finish in the dying moments added gloss to a statement victory.
With ten straight wins now behind them England’s autumn keeps gaining momentum. Their only loss of 2025 came in February, and on this evidence, Borthwick’s team are gathering the confidence and capability to challenge the world’s best once again.
