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All Blacks' skipper Scott Barrett's take on England 'pressure game'
New Zealand captain Scott Barrett insists the All Blacks must avoid another arm wrestle if they are to win the second Test against England in style.
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The rivals clash at Eden Park where the All Blacks have not been defeated since 1994 and the expectation among fans is to continue that run while scoring tries.
A 16-15 victory in Dunedin gave them a winning start to the series, but their attack spluttered in an attritional second half.
“The thing about Test-match rugby is there are different styles of play,” Barrett told reporters.
“England force you into a pressure sort of game – that’s rush ‘D’, high balls and breakdown pressure.
“That’s the battle and sometimes they take your game away from you – the expansive All Black game.
“Our challenge is to win the breakdown, get good ball, and hopefully we can play some of that All Black rugby.”
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England were dealt a blow on the eve of the second Test after George Furbank was ruled out of the Auckland showdown by a back injury.
Furbank was singled out as the tourists’ dangerman by opposite number Stephen Perofeta earlier in the week but his late injury setback means his cutting edge in attack will be missing at Eden Park.
Freddie Steward replaces Furbank at full-back in his first appearance for England since February 10 when he started against Wales in the Six Nations.
Steward has even been overlooked for the bench since losing his place to Furbank, who provides the team with more of a counter-attacking threat while also an accomplished defender.
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The Leicester Tiger was a foundation stone of England’s backline as he quickly compiled 33 caps, but his expertise under the high ball and command of the backfield have made way for a new emphasis on attack.
Steward has trained throughout the summer tour but Saturday’s second and final Test against the All Blacks will be his first appearance since May 18 when Leicester defeated Exeter – almost two months ago.
“It is massively disappointing for George, he has been brilliant in the way he has been playing this season,” England scrum coach Tom Harrison told reporters.
“But on a brighter note we have got depth in that position and a world class player in Freddie Steward coming in.
“Wherever we go, we play to our strengths. I don’t think it changes our approach too much.
“Freddie has been working hard on the things that George has been good at and George has been working hard on the things that Freddie is good at, so when moments like this happen players are always ready to step into the plan.
England are pretty fortunate to have a player of Steward’s calibre to fall back on. He may not have Furbank’s attacking ability but he doesn't do much wrong either. Safe pair of hands at the back and a decent kick.