England Selects Slade and Spencer for Starting Lineup Against All Blacks

Henry Slade, who was not selected for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, has now established himself as a crucial component of head coach Steve Borthwick’s strategic vision. The Autumn Nations Series match between England and New Zealand is scheduled for Saturday, 2 November, with a kick-off time of 15:10 GMT at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Coverage will be available via live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Henry Slade, a centre, is set to return to England’s starting midfield lineup for Saturday’s match against New Zealand, notwithstanding having played only 54 minutes of club rugby during the current season. Slade underwent shoulder surgery over the summer and made his return to play just last weekend in Exeter’s loss to Harlequins. In other team news, Ben Spencer, who has earned all six of his prior caps as a replacement, will start at scrum-half, replacing the injured Alex Mitchell. Harry Randall of Bristol will be among the substitutes. Tom Curry has been named in the back row, playing alongside Chandler Cunningham-South and Ben Earl. His brother, Ben Curry, is one of six forward replacements. George Ford, having recovered from a quad injury, will also be on the bench. However, Sam Underhill, who started both of England’s July defeats in New Zealand, has not been included in the matchday squad. Ellis Genge, who was absent from the summer tour due to a calf injury, returns to the loose-head prop position and has been designated as one of four vice-captains supporting captain Jamie George. Maro Itoje, the second row and newly appointed Saracens captain, along with Ford and Earl, complete the group of on-pitch leaders. Head coach Steve Borthwick stated, “We’re excited for the challenge of playing against one of the best teams in world rugby.” He added, “We’ll need to be accurate, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity throughout the match, from the first whistle to the final moment.” Borthwick also remarked, “With just two games at Allianz Stadium in our last 15, it’s fantastic to be returning to play in front of our home crowd again.” England’s most recent encounter with New Zealand at Twickenham in 2022 resulted in a 25-25 draw. While England notably defeated the tournament favorites at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, their last victory against the All Blacks on home ground dates back to 2012. The England starting XV is: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman; M Smith, Spencer; Genge, George (capt), Stuart; Itoje, Martin; Cunningham-South, T Curry, Earl. Replacements include: Dan, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford. Slade’s club team, Exeter, has suffered defeats in all six of their initial Premiership matches this season. Borthwick had alternative options for the midfield, including Saracens players Alex Lozowski and Elliot Daly, both of whom are in good form and have accumulated game time. However, the coach has expressed a strong desire to reintegrate Slade as a vital member of his team. The 31-year-old has established a centre partnership with Ollie Lawrence and directs the backline within their recently implemented aggressive defensive strategy. Borthwick commended Slade’s commitment to returning to “great shape.” Borthwick stated, “Sladey is a really important player for us. He’s an experienced Test match player and he’s in fantastic condition.” He continued, “With the shoulder surgery he’s had, he’s been able to be run. He’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him.” Borthwick concluded, “He feels in great shape. He’s a player who is energised and he’ll go really well on Saturday.” Spencer, who made a replacement appearance in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, will make his inaugural start for England at 32 years old. The Bath scrum-half recently expressed to Rugby Union Weekly his desire for “the opportunity to show what I can do as part of the starting XV,” following two replacement caps against Japan and New Zealand during the summer. Borthwick commented, “Ben has been around this England squad for a period of time now.” He added, “It is just about an understanding of how to play and he has been such a consistent performer for his club for so long. He performs in big games.” Borthwick concluded, “Look at the Premiership final for Bath, I thought he was outstanding.” Borthwick confirmed that Ollie Chessum will be unavailable for the entire autumn schedule, which features matches against Australia, South Africa, and Japan, following knee surgery performed on Monday. The Leicester forward was initially expected to start at blindside flanker but sustained an injury during last week’s training camp in Girona. The 24-year-old is anticipated to be fit for England’s Six Nations campaign, commencing against Ireland on 1 February. Borthwick noted that Underhill is still working to regain his peak form for Bath after undergoing an ankle operation earlier in the season. He explained, “When you have an ankle surgery you can’t be on your feet and so much of Sam’s game is that constant work rate, particularly in defence.” Borthwick further stated, “But his link play in attack has developed. I’ve seen even from last week to this week a step forward, which is great.”