Steward to avoid being ‘starstruck’ against All Blacks
TWICKENHAM, United Kingdom: England’s rising star Freddie Steward is determined his boyhood admiration for the All Blacks will not distract him from rising to the challenge of playing New Zealand for the first time.
Eddie Jones’ men revived their Autumn Nations Series with a 52-13 thrashing of Japan at Twickenham on Saturday, having launched their November campaign with a narrow defeat by Argentina. England will now end the calendar year against rugby union’s two enduring superpowers, New Zealand and South Africa, with the All Blacks first up on November 19.
Veteran coach Jones, speaking after the Japan match, promised England would “go after” a New Zealand side he feels are “there for the taking”.
England, however, have won just eight of their 42 Tests against the All Blacks, even if they did beat them 19-7 in their last encounter in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, when the 21-year-old Steward was still a Loughborough University student.
“As a young lad who’s watched rugby his whole life, the All Blacks are the team you want to play against,” full-back Steward told reporters after scoring one try against Japan and helping create several others.
Steward, speaking before New Zealand came from nine points down to avoid a first defeat by Scotland in a 31-23 win at Murrayfield on Sunday, added: “To be able to face the Haka is just so exciting. I’ll probably need to get over being starstruck in the week so that come game-day I’m in a position where I’m ready to perform.”