The fly-half position went to Ford to begin versus the All Blacks ahead of Fin Smith and Marcus Smith.
During November 2024, national team playmaker George Ford cut a dejected figure during the match.
He was called upon from the bench to assist the hosts secure an historic victory versus the All Blacks, however missed a crucial penalty plus a drop-goal attempt as his side fell short by two points.
In the wake of those pivotal failures, Ford had to work hard to secure another chance at delivering glory for England.
He played only 25 minutes during this year's Six Nations but a string of excellent displays, notably in the summer matches against Argentina and the USA as Fin Smith and Marcus Smith were absent for British and Irish Lions duty, put him firmly back among starting candidates.
At 32 years old fully validated Steve Borthwick's faith in starting him facing the Kiwis, but the Sale Sharks playmaker achieved a best-player showing to assist the hosts to a breakthrough triumph over New Zealand on home soil for the first time since 2012.
The pivotal moment came when Ford converted back-to-back drop-goals just before the break.
It helped England recover from 12-0 down to trail 12-11 when the half ended, before Borthwick's star-studded bench once more performed in the second half to support England to a comfortable 33-19 win.
"Credit must be given to the senior players on our squad, particularly Ford," the coach stated. "During that phase where he hit those drop-kicks, he directed play just incredibly.
"Twelve months ago In my view George entered and performed exceptionally well [facing the Kiwis].
"A kick hit the post and he had a pressured drop-kick, yet he performed excellently.
"He is a phenomenal leader, a superb performer and an even better person. We are privileged to feature him within our roster."
In 2024, the player's errors with the boot came at a price as England lost against the Kiwis - but it was a contrasting result in the recent game.
New Zealand started quickly at Allianz Stadium, racing into a 12-point lead with tries by Leicester Fainga'anuku and Codie Taylor.
After Lawrence's impressive score, Ford's back-to-back drop-kicks ensured England entered the halftime break with the momentum.
"The tough part in those moments is, when the scoreboard says 12-0, we must maintain to our plan and what we believe the superior method to play the game is," Ford stated.
"We fought our way back into contention and we knew if we started the final period strongly, with the bench coming on, we would be in an advantageous spot.
"Despite having fifteen minutes to go, we were positioned near our try line after a penalty, thus we encountered obstacles during that phase also.
"I believe this illustrates Test rugby is - who manages best with those moments most effectively."
Both kicks occurred within two minutes of each other as Ford who nailed three drop-kicks during a victory facing the Argentine team at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, showed all his century of caps experience.
Ford successfully executed two drop-goals representing Sale in a league contest occurring during difficult conditions at Bath - it is a skill he has mastered thoroughly.
"These attempts is always in the plan," Ford continued.
"The coach is such an outstanding manager that he is always reminding me, and correctly so as three points prove important during any phase of play."
Ford guided his side brilliantly throughout the match the complete contest, executing intelligent kicks - for both attacking and defensive purposes and locating gaps in the opposition's territory.
His signature 'spiral bomb' also bamboozled Beauden Barrett, who couldn't collect.
After beginning the national team's triumph versus the Wallabies on 1 November, Ford relinquished the number 10 jersey to Fin Smith against Fiji a week later.
However the greatest challenge on paper this autumn came against the multiple World Cup winners, with Ford regaining his starting role.
The English team, now on a run of an unbeaten streak of ten, play against Argentina in late November creating intrigue to determine if Borthwick goes back to Fin Smith or continues with Ford.
Whatever choice occurs, Ford proved ahead of the next tournament before the World Cup that ample opportunity of career ahead for him.
