England team: Winners and losers as Steve Borthwick puts trust in ‘Pom Squad’ while ‘scintillating’ winger misses out

Steve Borthwick has revealed a highly dynamic squad to face the mighty All Blacks on Saturday, as the host nation looks to build upon their positive start to the Autumn Nations Series.

Here are our winners and losers from his selection.

Winners

George Ford

Back in the team after being rested for last weekend’s match against Fiji. The 32-year-old is arguably in the form of his life, and he’s once again been given the keys to unlock the All Blacks’ defence. There were murmurs that the young Fin Smith could be considered for the driving seat after his solid performance against the Pacific Island side last weekend, but Ford’s experience and immense leadership ability have been preferred for this encounter. New Zealand are expected to be the most challenging opponents of the autumn, so Borthwick has led with his very best team.

Tom Roebuck

The Sale Sharks man has returned to the starting line-up after a week out with injury. He capitalises on Tommy Freeman’s injury this week, taking his spot on the right wing. Roebuck is a relatively new addition to the England set-up, with less than 10 caps to his name, but his impact has been positive since arriving. Well known at club level for his aerial game, Roebuck could be key to England’s hopes on Saturday.

Pom Squad

Once upon a time, a spot on the bench would have been considered a demotion for a usual starter, but thanks to Rassie Erasmus’ introduction of a ‘Bomb Squad’, that thought process is no more. Having seen the success of Rassie’s innovation in helping win back-to-back World Cups, Borthwick has elected to go with what is now being coined as England’s own, ‘Pom Squad’. Consisting of Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock, the 6-2 bench split is designed to plant huge amounts of pressure and power on a tiring All Blacks side. Last week, all but one of the forward replacements were introduced into the game on the 53rd minute with great impact. Borthwick will be hoping for the same this week.

Sam Underhill

A hugely important part of the squad that helped England to the World Cup final in 2019, Underhill has developed his game from being known as a huge hitter to now being considered one of the best all-round flankers in the world. Despite his impressive lore, Underhill was never guaranteed to keep his place in the starting line-up due to the incredible number of quality options coming through. So for the 29-year-old to remain a key part of Borthwick’s plans is testament to the player’s work rate and ability to remain at the highest level.

Guy Pepper

Lining up alongside Underhill on the flank, Pepper has done tremendously well to break into the starting squad for such a high-profile and challenging match. His performances for Bath since arriving from Prem minnows Newcastle have been nothing short of extraordinary. He was the star of the 2025 Premiership play-offs, achieving Player of the Match awards in both the semi-final and final. During the summer, he was called up to the England senior squad, making his full debut against Argentina, before making his first start two games later against the USA. This start will be his third of the Autumn Nations Series, indicating the very real confidence that Borthwick has in this young man.

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Losers

Henry Arundell

The Bath star is one of the hottest properties in English rugby at the moment. He’s been in scintillating form in the Prem, scoring four tries in five matches, and scored yet another incredible try in England’s impressive victory over Fiji on Saturday. Sadly for the 23-year-old, the real estate market for wingers is booming. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has scored seven in just as many games, while the aforementioned Roebuck has scored five. Despite Arundell’s versatile ability to slot in at full-back when required, he’s failed to make the bench, with the playmaking Marcus Smith preferred instead.

Fin Smith

A British and Irish Lions tourist, but sat behind Ford in an England shirt. Both very similar players, Andy Farrell prefers F. Smith while Borthwick prefers Ford. He will be disappointed not to have made the 23 after recently admitting to Planet Rugby that the England head coach sees him as a ‘big part’ of England’s future. Sadly, the Northampton Saints star doesn’t fit a 6-2 mould due to his lack of versatility, with M. Smith being preferred as a bench option. Will have plenty more opportunities, just not this weekend.

Injuries

Ollie Chessum and Freeman were both likely to start if they had been fit. Freeman is still managing a hamstring issue that forced him off in England’s win over Fiji, while Leicester Tigers forward Chessum is also understood to still be struggling with a foot injury. Solid performances from their replacements, Roebuck and Alex Coles, could see their positions in danger.

Elliot Daly

The perfect man for a 6-2 split – you’d have thought. Sadly for Daly, due to rarely covering fly-half, he’s been overlooked for the more playmaking-minded M. Smith as the versatile option. Daly can slot in anywhere along the backline, but with no other cover for Ford in the squad, it’s little wonder why the Quin has been given the nod.

READ MORE: England team: George Ford among SEVEN changes for All Blacks as Steve Borthwick deploys Pom Squad