“A few people have said that I need to go and see a witch doctor,” George Furbank chuckles, perhaps to hide a grimace beneath after two years of misfortune. Rugby has known a few tales of black cats and broken mirrors but not many players have endured such a wretched run that has meant an absence from 20 consecutive England Tests in the prime of the full-back’s career.

First came a broken arm in December of 2024; then a concussion; then a niggly calf injury he struggled to shake. In July, Furbank was named in the No 15 shirt for England’s encounter with South Africa only to be rushed to hospital to have his appendix removed – matchday was spent not at Ellis Park but in a rather different kind of Johannesburg theatre.

“Do I believe in luck?” Furbank ponders, repeating the question I have posed with a contemplative pause. One would forgive an answer of frustration at this apparent cosmic misalignment but the 30-year-old is not that way minded. “Not really,” he continues. “It’s pretty cliche but I think you make your own luck.

“Could you say I’ve been unlucky with the injuries and the timing? Potentially, but most boys will go through periods of injuries. Unfortunately, mine have been a bit back-to-back. The last two years have definitely been tough. I haven’t been able to play, or in good enough form to play, as much as I’d like to. But it has made me realise how much I do love coming here. I’m so desperate to be back on the international stage and pull on an England shirt again. When it gets taken away from you, you realise how much you miss it.”

How England have missed Furbank, too. Their form may have fluctuated in the nearly two years since he won the last of his 14 caps against Japan but there has been a sense throughout that they might be a better side with the full-back in it. It is a mark of Steve Borthwick’s faith in the player that he has remained a contracted player throughout his injury trials and tribulations; all will hope for a clean bill of health throughout this November.

It has been a year of change in other ways for Furbank. If it was a wrench to leave Northampton with club and captain unable to reach agreement on mutually beneficial terms, another Gallagher Prem title was a perfect farewell, and Furbank has settled well at Harlequins. A house in Wimbledon has fulfilled a life-long dream to live in London – if Northampton had its small-town charm, the comparative cornucopia on his new doorstep is providing a welcome alternative.

“Finishing the way I did at Saints was special, and a pretty cool way to close that chapter in my life. But this has rejuvenated me,” Furbank explains. “A new challenge, new coaches, new players, a bit of a different way of playing. That group at Saints was so tight. We did stuff with each other every single day off.

“I was a little bit worried – the boys are spread across so many different areas of London. Is it going to be that same feeling? It is a little bit different because boys are everywhere. But there’s still a really good environment. There’s always someone wanting to go for coffee.” The Hand-in-Hand pub on the common and Demitasse on the high street are becoming regular haunts.

Alas, certain things did travel south with Furbank. His first outing in the quarters was over almost before it began after being knocked out by a stray knee against Edinburgh – “A good start to my Quins career! 30 seconds into my first game…” – and a delayed debut in the Prem for his new employers ended with a 48-0 thrashing by Gloucester. But things are starting to turn: Furbank was an influential presence in wins over Saracens and Exeter, and Harlequins have made a strong start in the Challenge Cup, a competition of real focus this season. The 30-year-old sees a resemblance to the struggles Saints experienced before the transformative impact of Chris Boyd, Phil Dowson and Sam Vesty, and hopes for a similarly effective turnaround.

He is enjoying, too, the chance to combine more closely with Marcus Smith, a kindred spirit. “He’s world class to work with. He does things on the pitch that not many people can do. His dedication off the pitch in constantly improving his game is special as well.”

Could their alliance be reprised internationally? Regardless of the exact personnel, England’s playmaking partnership will surely be key to their Nations Championship fortunes. Borthwick’s squad are under no illusions that these Tests will be tighter and tougher than the games experienced in a fast and loose start to the Prem campaign, but a capacity to create and exploit space will clearly be vital.

Furbank, though, wants no part of the criticism that has accompanied a high-scoring first phase of the season. “It kind of does my head in a bit. You have a season where there is a lot of kicking and defences are dominant, everyone moans about that. Then you have a 71-48 game, people are moaning about that. Find something to enjoy!

“I watched that Saints-Bath game and could appreciate some unbelievable attack on show. But then you watch Gloucester-Bath, which is again incredible to watch but completely different. Why can’t you appreciate both? Teams are going to play differently depending on how they think they can get the best out of their players.

“You watch the NRL and it always seems focused on, ‘how good was that?’ I think if you look at everything negatively the whole time, you don’t get any enjoyment or excitement out of the game. Yes, there are bits you have got to critique, don’t get me wrong, but I also think we can be way more positive in how we play and watch the game.”

It is with that positive mindset that Furbank intends to attack the year ahead. Having made his debut in the Six Nations after the 2019 World Cup but fallen out of favour by the time of the next tournament, a trip to Australia next year is in the back of his mind. He can just about recall England’s last World Cup Down Under – the 2002/03 triumph.

“I’d have been seven. I remember bits. I was down at Huntingdon Rugby Club watching it in a full clubhouse. I remember being quite overwhelmed when that drop goal went over; I think beer went flying everywhere, which probably wasn’t what a seven-year-old needed…

“I don’t actively think about it but it is something in the background that is on my mind. It’s one of the goals I’ve got left in rugby: to go to a World Cup with England, and win a World Cup with England. That is the pinnacle of anyone’s career. It’s something that would be an absolute dream. To be that team to go and win it again would be incredibly special.”