Steve Borthwick reveals England XV to face New Zealand 48 hours early… with Joe Marler returning to starting line-up and young debutant selected as Red Roses search for first win away at All Blacks since 2003
- Joe Marler wins his 93rd cap for England alongside club-mate and debutant Fin Harper
- Steve Borthwick has revamped his front row after the 52-17 win over Japan
- As a sign of confidence and continuity, he announced his team 48 hours earlier
Steve Borthwick has reshuffled his England props for the opening Test match against New Zealand, with Joe Marler back in the starting line-up and Harlequins wonderkid Fin Baxter making his debut.
While the rest of the Red Rose line-up is unchanged, the front row has been revamped following the 52-17 win over Japan in Tokyo on June 22. Marler will once again wear the No.1 shirt in place of Bevan Rodd, with the Sale losshead omitted entirely from Matchday 23 for the season opener in Dunedin on Saturday.
Quins veteran Marler wins a 95th cap for his country at the age of 33 and will be under-represented by the rookie club-mate he mentored. Baxter is set to make his first England appearance, a fitting reward for a superior season.
The 22-year-old showed he is capable of causing chaos even in set-piece situations, most notably during the famous Champions Cup victory over Bordeaux in France when he outpaced the home side’s great Tongan icon Ben Tameifuna.
There is also change at the other end of the tourists’ front row, in line with the recent trend of Borthwick rotating his experienced props into the starting side. Bath’s Will Stuart takes over from Dan Cole at tighthead, with the 37-year-old Tiger joining the supporting cast on the bench.
Joe Marler returns to the England starting XI as they prepare for an away match against New Zealand
Fin Baxter, 22, makes his debut as England seek their first All Blacks win since 2003
Steve Borthwick has taken up the gauntlet by announcing his selection 48 hours early
After Chandler Cunningham-South recovered from an ankle injury sustained in the win over Tokyo, Borthwick was likely to seek continuity in most areas of his team.
That is certainly the case in the XV – with Marcus Smith expectedly retaining number 10 – but there are further changes among the replacements.
Northampton’s Alex Coles replaces suspended lock Charlie Ewels and Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer has been chosen ahead of Bristol’s Harry Randall, suggesting the emphasis in the closing stages in Dunedin will be on control rather than pace.
There is also a pacy striker in reserve, however, with inexperienced Saints winger Ollie Sleightholme – the Premiership’s top scorer this season – the top choice ahead of Sale’s Tom Roebuck, who made a guest appearance in Tokyo.
Borthwick has again chosen to name his team earlier in the week than usual, a positive sign of confidence and relative continuity. Outlining the daunting task ahead, the head coach said: ‘It’s not going to be any more challenging than playing New Zealand at home, but it’s exactly where we want to be. We want to test ourselves against the best teams in the world.
‘Test rugby is a game of small margins, so our mindset will be very important on Saturday. We have to be mentally strong, play a tactically smart game and make sure we keep our discipline.
‘Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin is a great venue with a fast surface and the closed roof will certainly make the atmosphere very special.’