Match England 33 v New Zealand 19 - 15/11/2025 - Quilter Nations Series

New Zealand struck first after a cagey opening, with Leicester Fainga’anuku powering over on 14 minutes following a strong carry down the left. All Blacks number 10 Beauden Barrett couldn’t add the extras, but the visitors soon doubled their advantage. Will Jordan’s incisive break set up nimble-footed hooker Codie Taylor for a clinical finish under pressure, and Barrett converted to make it 12-0.

England had their chances before and after those scores. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s pace down the wing twice opened up space, and Ollie Lawrence bulldozed through defenders in a determined surge, but handling errors and a held-up carry inside the 22 meant no reward. Flanker Guy Pepper and centre Fraser Dingwall also featured prominently in England’s attacking phases, while Marcus Smith stepped in at fullback after Freddie Steward failed a head injury assessment.

The home side finally broke through on 31 minutes when Lawrence crashed over after sustained pressure, reducing the deficit to 5-12. England’s intensity grew, and George Ford seized the moment late in the half with two impressively well-struck drop goals - one from just outside the 22, the other from further out - to bring England within a point at the break.

England's comeback began on 42 minutes when flanker Sam Underhill powered over following a series of close-range drives, with scrum-half Alex Mitchell and lock Maro Itoje going close beforehand. Ford added the conversion to give England the lead for the first time at 18-12.

Moments later, England thought they had extended their advantage through Ford, but the score was ruled out for an offside infringement at the preceding lineout. The frustration didn’t last long. From a perfectly executed first-phase move off a lineout, wing Tom Roebuck cut a brilliant line before offloading to No.8 Ben Earl, who kept the attack alive. Centre Fraser Dingwall eventually finished the move, and after TMO checks confirmed no knock-on, Ford converted for 25-12.

The All Blacks finally broke their scoring drought after 48 minutes without points. Fullback Damian McKenzie, last week's hero at Murrayfield, sent wing Will Jordan over untouched for his 45th Test try, reducing the gap to 25-19 after McKenzie’s conversion. England were briefly down to 14 men when Earl was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements, but the home side held firm.

Ford’s composure proved decisive in the closing stages. The Sale Sharks man landed a crucial penalty on 76 minutes to restore a two-score cushion at 28-19. Then, with three minutes remaining, replacement back-row Henry Pollock hacked a loose ball forward twice before Roebuck gathered and finished in the corner for the try he had threatened to score all match. Ford missed the conversion, but England’s 33-19 victory was secure, and with it a day to remember in this corner of southwest London.

⭐️ Quilter Player of the Match:

George Ford (ENG)

"I loved it. It was a challenging game, wasn't it? We went 12-0 down, came back really well, took a bit of a lead second half and then there's obviously that 20-15 minute mark where we were a bit inaccurate, got a yellow card.

"What I'm saying is we had to work a few things out today and the boys did that brilliantly."

{On his two drop goals before half time) "It was always part of the plan. When the boys are doing so much good work and getting us field position, you want to come away with something more often than not. Sometimes a drop goal is the best way to do it: keep the scoreboard ticking over, keep it close to where New Zealand were and then you can see in the second half, we scored some good tries.

"Our bench was brilliant. In fact, it's not just the 23 today, it's the 36, 37 lads. The lads here who didn't even play, the way they've been in the week is incredible. It's a great sport to be part of. We'll keep our feet on the ground."