“George Furbank was impressive” – ​​Stephen Perofeta: All Blacks surprised by England fullback in first Test

There were plenty of positional battles in England’s first Test against New Zealand, as Ben Earl and Ardie Savea went head-to-head in a thrilling back-row battle and Marcus Smith went tee-to-tee in an abortive shoot-out with Damian McKenzie. There was also a tempting clash at fullback in the mix, as George Furbank and Stephen Perofeta battled it out for the right to claim dominance in the back row.

Furbank and Perofeta are at similar points in their careers, with the two 27-year-olds only establishing a foothold in their respective national set-ups in the past two years. While Furbank has amassed 11 caps to Perofeta’s three, the Northampton Saints man has only become a consistent Test match footballer in the Steve Borthwick era, after sporadic appearances during Eddie Jones’ seven-year reign.

As the saying goes ‘game after game’, and Perofeta praised his opponent’s efforts in Dunedin on Saturday. The All Black expects more of the same from the Northampton Saint when the two sides meet at Eden Park, as Perofeta spoke to the reporting media in Auckland this morning.

“Yeah, George Furbank was impressive. His running ability and his power on contact was pretty good. And it set the England attack on fire, to be honest. And that’s what we expect. And it’s probably something we’ll expect again this week.”

While Perofeta saw Furbank as a threat in England’s attack, the Blues man also had an opinion on the defensive structure of Steve Borthwick’s team. It is fast becoming the worst-kept secret in Test match rugby that England defence coach Felix Jones has implemented a ferocious line speed in his team, with the likes of Sam Underhill and Chandler Cunningham-South flying out of the line to hit a hapless halfback with a thump.

Perofeta missed a couple of tackles but still came under fire in such testy circumstances, taking a number of heavy blows from the aforementioned flanking duo, and a high-profile clash with Ben Earl after Perofeta irritated Saracens with an earlier sidestep.

The Auckland All Black was left black and blue after a brutal 50th minute blow and was replaced by Beauden Barrett for the final half hour of the match. Perofeta spoke about his experiences of riding the relentless wave of England’s line-speed and explained to the marker how his team are preparing to navigate the choppy waters at the Blues’ home ground next Saturday.

“We were talking about the pressure of one that was delivered by their line speed. And it’s always different when you’re really in the game when it’s alive. Because yeah, they bought serious line speed and it pushed us at times.

“And I think we’ll look ahead and build on that this week to find ways to neutralize that. But on Saturday, you know, when it was crucial moments, we put them under pressure in the right way with our passing game and the moments where they were able to get the ball to the rim.

“You know, they scrambled well, so. Baz (Beauden Barrett) comes at a crucial moment, you know, that’s what he’s best at, is vision and execution of his kicks.”

Perofeta calls Eden Park his ‘second home’, as his Super Rugby club team plays their home games in the vast Auckland amphitheatre. However, the Blues rarely attract a full house to Eden Park, with Perofeta saying he has only felt the buzz of the sold-out fortress on a handful of occasions. There will certainly be a full house on Saturday as England look to level the Test series, and Perofeta would be grateful for the chance to experience it again.

“Definitely, yes. In a way, I’ve approached it that way. This could be my only chance, my last chance, I think I just want to make the most of it, express myself, enjoy myself, laugh and be free.”

“If I’m privileged and get the blessing and the honour again, yeah, it’ll be pretty exciting. Eden Park when it’s full has a different vibe and I haven’t played Eden Park when it’s full. A lot, maybe twice earlier this week. Hopefully. But yeah, the buzz is there, the buzz is there. Yeah, it’s real energy, the energy is high.”

“Again, I would be honoured and excited for the challenge and knowing it’s in what I call my second home. And the fans in Auckland, they are really passionate and it will be really special to see them fill Eden Park.”

Perofeta recently got the chance to play in front of a sold-out Eden Park as he was part of the Blues team that took on Chiefs in the 2024 Super Rugby Final. The fullback started in the 15 shirt and enjoyed the full 80 minutes in the Garden of Eden as the Blues secured a convincing 41-10 victory over the Hamilton outfit.

Damian McKenzie led the line for runners-up Chiefs as the fly-half scored the only conversion after his team’s single try. McKenzie has gone from Eden Park opponent to team-mate in a quick turnaround, and Perofeta spoke about how he’s smoothing over the creases with his new Test match counterpart.

“The environment is definitely, when there’s a full stadium, it can feel… there’s a lot of eyes, a lot of pressure, the stakes are higher, which is definitely true. But I think I think it’s a big occasion. But I don’t try to capitalize on the occasion.

“I just want to support my preparation and play the beautiful game of rugby. And that was a bit like the test last week with my mindset and just being very clear about what I needed to achieve.”

“I don’t have that much experience with him (Damian McKenzie) to be honest. When I think about it, I thought it was pretty smooth. I like that he can just play what’s in front of him and I can help out wide, it’s just about controlling how we kick and when we can press on the English side of the pitch.”