England have made significant changes ahead of their highly anticipated clash with New Zealand at Twickenham, recalling George Ford and Freddie Steward to the starting lineup. Head coach Steve Borthwick has opted to rest last week’s captain Ellis Genge, who drops to the bench in a tactical reshuffle designed to strengthen England’s impact options.
Ford returns to fly-half after missing the 38-18 win over Fiji, bringing experience and control to the No. 10 role. Steward also reclaims the full-back position, with Borthwick preferring his defensive stability over the attacking flair of Elliot Daly, who remains sidelined following a broken arm. The pair’s inclusion marks two of seven changes to the team that triumphed over Fiji, as England aim to maintain momentum against one of the world’s best sides.
Maro Itoje takes over as captain and partners Alex Coles in the second row, with Ollie Chessum ruled out due to a foot injury. Tommy Freeman also misses out through a hamstring problem, allowing Toe Roebuck to return on the right wing. Ollie Lawrence comes back into the midfield, joining Fraser Dingwall, while Immanuel Feyi-Waboso retains his place on the left wing.
In the back row, Sam Underhill returns at openside flanker, Guy Pepper keeps his spot on the blindside, and Ben Earl shifts to No. 8. Alex Mitchell remains at scrum-half following an impressive performance last week.
The front row of Fin Baxter, Jamie George, and Joe Heyes suggests Borthwick is again prioritising a powerful bench. Among the replacements are Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Chandler Cunningham-South, Henry Pollock, Ben Spencer, and Marcus Smith, forming a 6-2 split between forwards and backs.
Borthwick expressed confidence in the team’s progress and praised the growing connection with supporters. England will look to build on their recent form and deliver a statement performance against the All Blacks, with Twickenham expected to be at full capacity for Saturday’s showdown.
