England team: George Ford among SEVEN changes for All Blacks as Steve Borthwick deploys Pom Squad
George Ford is among seven changes for England this weekend
England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his 23-man squad to face the All Blacks, with seven changes made from their win over Fiji last time out.
Borthwick’s side have enjoyed a strong start to the Autumn Nations Series, beating both Australia and the Pacific Islanders in their opening two Tests, and a win over New Zealand will extend their winning run to 10 in a row.
Borthwick makes sweeping changes for All Blacks Test
Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck both mark their return from injury this weekend with a spot in the starting XV, with the Sale Sharks man replacing the injured Tommy Freeman on the right wing in the process. They also reunite with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in an exciting back-three.
Ollie Lawrence and Fraser Dingwall both retain their place in midfield, with Lawrence wearing 13 and Dingwall 12.
George Ford also makes his return to the run-on group, usurping Fin Smith at fly-half, while Alex Mitchell continues at scrum-half.
In the England pack, Ben Earl shifts back over to number eight this weekend, with Sam Underhill getting the nod at seven. They are joined by Guy Pepper in the back-row, with the Bath man continuing to impress at Test level.
Alex Coles continues in the starting side after an impressive display against Fiji, shifting over to wear number five in the absence of the injured Ollie Chessum, while Maro Itoje returns to captain the side from the off.
Joe Heyes retains his starting shirt once again, with Jamie George and Fin Baxter joining him in the front-row.
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Borthwick has again opted for a 6/2 split on the bench, with Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock named as replacements. Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith round off the 23.
Commenting on his selection, Borthwick said: “I’m pleased with the progress we are making.”
“Without doubt, New Zealand are one of the best teams in the world and facing them is always a special challenge.
“Playing in front of a packed-out Allianz Stadium means a huge amount to the players. The support we’ve had throughout this series has been outstanding, and we want it loud again on Saturday.”
England team v All Blacks in full
Starting XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (C), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Fin Baxter
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Marcus Smith
Date: Saturday, November 15
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Kick-off: 15:10 (UK)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: Luc Ramos (FFR) and Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
