Furbank: I can't wait to take on All Blacks

GEORGE Furbank missed a chance to get one over the All Blacks in July now he has his eyes trained on the rematch at Twickenham next month.

- ADAM HATHAWAY

The Northampton fullback pulled out of July's second Test in Auckland with a back spasm and sat in the stands as England went down 24-17.

Furbank had been name-checked by the Kiwis after the first game in Dunedin for his attacking threat but was robbed of the opportunity to show them more by the injury.

The 27-year-old is a certainty for Steve Borthwick's squad for the autumn, which is announced on Wednesday, and is relishing another crack at the New Zealanders after his heartbreak in the summer.

He said: "I was gutted, Eden Park is a historic place. I was buzzing to play in New Zealand once but I wanted to play that second game. But this is another opportunity to have another shot at them at home.

"With 15 minutes to go in both games we had put ourselves in position to win both and ultimately came out on the wrong side through a few different elements. We look back with frustration but we also look back with a feeling we developed massively as a team on that tour.

"We have spoken briefly about where we want to improve. We are pretty clear on areas we need to improve to come out on the right side of those games that are tight."