England head coach Steve Borthwick has shaken up his lineup for Saturday's highly anticipated clash against New Zealand at Twickenham, recalling George Ford and Freddie Steward while dropping last week's captain Ellis Genge to the bench.
Key changes in starting lineup
George Ford returns at fly-half after missing the 38-18 victory over Fiji, with the Sale Sharks playmaker taking back the number 10 jersey following his impressive early-season form and match-winning performance against Australia. Ford's return sees Fin Smith drop out of the matchday squad entirely.
Freddie Steward reclaims the full-back position, with Borthwick opting against rushing Elliot Daly back into action following his arm fracture sustained during British & Irish Lions duty. On the wing, Toe Roebuck comes in for the injured Tommy Freeman, who is nursing a hamstring problem.
In the pack, Maro Itoje returns to lead the side and partners Alex Coles in the second row after Ollie Chessum was ruled out with a foot injury. The back row sees Sam Underhill return at openside flanker, with Guy Pepper retaining his place at blindside and Ben Earl shifting to number eight.
Power-packed bench strategy
Borthwick has continued his policy of loading the replacements bench with quality, opting for a 6-2 split between forwards and backs. The decision sees last week's captain Ellis Genge named among the replacements alongside fellow Lions Luke Cowan-Dickie and Will Stuart.
Tom Curry remains on the bench despite being available, while Marcus Smith provides backline cover from the number 23 jersey as one of six Lions among the substitutes. Chandler Cunningham-South offers second row coverage, with Henry Pollock and Ben Spencer completing the bench options.
The starting front-row of Fin Baxter, Jamie George and Joe Heyes demonstrates Borthwick's confidence in his bench strength, with significant firepower waiting to be unleashed in the second half.
Borthwick's confidence ahead of showdown
Speaking about his selection decisions, Borthwick expressed satisfaction with his team's development. "I'm pleased with the progress we are making," said the England coach. "Without doubt, New Zealand are one of the best teams in the world and facing them is always a special challenge."
The match at Twickenham Stadium represents England's toughest test of the autumn series, with the All Blacks bringing their traditional attacking flair to London. Borthwick acknowledged the importance of home support, adding: "Playing in front of a packed-out Twickenham 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."
In total, Borthwick has made seven changes to the side that defeated Fiji, though only two of those - Chessum for Coles and Ollie Lawrence for Freeman - were injury-enforced alterations from the lineup that overcame Australia the previous week.
