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England achieved a victory that Maro Itoje had long envisioned, triumphing over the All Blacks at Twickenham for the first time since 2012. This landmark win was punctuated by two crucial drop goals from fly-half George Ford, propelling England to their 10th consecutive victory. The team set the stage for this success by performing a daring maneuver, encircling New Zealand’s haka before the match began.
This triumph marked a significant milestone for Steve Borthwick, serving as his most notable achievement since taking the helm as England’s head coach. Borthwick attributed the team’s inspired performance to Itoje’s impassioned pre-match rallying cry, which galvanized the players and set the tone for the unforgettable encounter.
England landed a victory that Maro Itoje had ‘dreamed about’ by beating the All Blacks at Twickenham for the first time since 2012.
Two drop goals from fly-half George Ford steered England towards a 10th consecutive win after circling New Zealand’s haka before kick-off.
The victory was Steve Borthwick’s biggest scalp as England head coach, who claimed his players were inspired by Itoje’s rallying team-talk.
‘I heard Maro address the team this morning,’ said Borthwick.Â
‘He talked about when the team were 14 or 15 year old boys, dreaming of playing for England and dreaming about playing here at Allianz Stadium against teams like New Zealand.Â
‘Dreaming of beating teams like New Zealand, scoring tries, contributing to great wins, celebrating with the fans. He asked the players to go out and play with that intent of a 14 or 15-year-old with a dream. The boys took those dreams onto the pitch today and they were outstanding.
Steve Borthwick believes England were inspired by captain Maro Itoje’s speech ahead of their famous victory over New Zealand
Itoje spoke to his team-mates about his dream of being part of great England victories
Borthwick singled out George Ford for praise and said he had made ‘brilliant decisions’
‘Hopefully there’s a load of other young future rugby players watching that game around the country who want to wear the white shirt and get great victories in the future.’
Borthwick singled out Ford for praise, saying: ‘George is a brilliant player, an outstanding leader and an even better person. I have been privileged to work with him for a period of time.Â
‘When he pulls on the England shirt he is just such a consistent performer. I trust the 10 to make decisions. I thought he made brilliant decisions and executed perfectly.’
Borthwick gave his card the green light to celebrate their victory with a night on the town.
‘The changing room was amazing,’ said Itoje. ‘Part of my motivation to be a rugby player and to play for England is that moment in the changing room after a big win.Â
‘It’s something that is hard to describe unless you’re part of it. When you’re part of a team, part of a group of men who have gone out, done the hard yards, done the work throughout the week and you get the result… they’re the moments I miss the most when I retire and start to lose my hair. We’re pumped.’
