ENGLAND HAVE SUFFERED a blow on the eve of their second and final Test against New Zealand as fullback George Furbank has had to withdraw from the side with a back injury.
Leicester Tigers fullback Freddie Steward will take Furbank’s place for the match at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday. England scrum coach Tom Harrison said Furbank woke up feeling unwell Friday morning.
“It’s massively disappointing for George, he has been brilliant in the way he has been playing and has had a great season,” Harrison told reporters.
“On a bright note, we have a lot of depth in the position, we have a world-class player in Freddie Steward coming in.”
The All Blacks lead the two-Test series after their 16-15 win in the opening match in Dunedin last weekend.
All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said swapping Furbank for Steward wouldn’t hurt England as the visitors look to end New Zealand’s 30-year unbeaten run at Eden Park.
“George Furbank challenged our line from counter-attacks, Freddie will certainly do the same. He’s potentially a little bit safer under the high ball,” Barrett told reporters.
“That’s a big strength of his game, so it’s about us trying to win those contests. Hopefully he has a quiet night.”
Furbank is the second England player ruled out of the Auckland Test with loosehead prop Joe Marler also sidelined by a foot injury.
His Harlequins teammate Fin Baxter, 22, will make only his second international appearance having earned his debut off the bench in Dunedin last week to replace Marler.
“He was quite impressive coming onto the park after an early introduction,” Barrett said of Baxter. “He held down the scrum and was pretty agile around the park. He’ll be excited to make his first start.”
New Zealand have made just one change to their starting team with scrum-half Finlay Christie replacing TJ Perenara, who suffered a knee injury in the first Test.
The All Blacks last lost at Eden Park in 1994, chalking up 48 wins and two draws at the iconic Auckland stadium.
Harrison said the pressure is on the hosts to protect their unbeaten run.
However, Barrett insisted the All Blacks get a lift from running out at Eden Park, where New Zealand has twice won the Rugby World Cup after victory in both the finals of 1987 and 2011 on home soil.
“It’s potentially a little more special. There is a certainly a lot of history. The players love playing here.”
