Friday, November 1, 2024

England v New Zealand: Jamie George issues ultimatium to his forwards

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Captain Jamie George has told England’s pack that there can be no repeat of New Zealand’s set-piece superiority when the two sides meet again on Saturday.

England lost two Tests away to the All Blacks in July with the hosts outmuscling George’s side in key areas.

“We were disappointed in the summer, we got scrummed and we don’t like being scrummed,” George told BBC 5 Live.

“We got mauled and we don’t like being mauled.

“We have made it very clear that that is the end of the England forwards being taken to. We want to make sure we put our authority down in that respect.”

Ellis Genge, who missed the July matches through injury, is fit to reclaim the starting loosehead spot for this weekend’s rematch, but the rest of England’s front five remains the same.

Head coach Steve Borthwick said after the 2-0 series defeat in the summer that he was considering fast-tracking some of England’s under-20 World Cup-winning side to shore up the tighthead side of the front row, with Will Stuart coming under pressure and 37-year-old Dan Cole closing in on the end of his career.

Bath’s Billy Sella, Sale’s Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Gloucester’s Afolabi Fasogbon all impressed with powerful performances in that age-grade success, with Fasogbon also coming out on top in an early-season Premiership face-off with Bristol’s Genge.

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