- Borthwick has denied it was a risk to start Slade despite limited playing time
- Ben Spencer to make first England start at scrum-half in Test opener
- England’s boss selected his team to face the All Blacks earlier than anticipated
England head coach Steve Borthwick on Tuesday night denied it was a risk to start Henry Slade against New Zealand despite the centre having played just 54 minutes of rugby this season.
Slade made his return from shoulder surgery for Exeter against Harlequins last Sunday and Borthwick has decided that is enough for him to be ready to face the All Blacks.
The experienced midfielder is part of a settled England side for their autumn opener at Allianz Stadium on Saturday with Ben Spencer making his first Test start at scrum-half.
‘He’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him. He’s in fantastic condition. He feels in great shape. He’s a player who is energised. He’ll go really well on Saturday,’ Borthwick said of Slade.
‘He is a really important player for us. He’s an experienced Test match player, now more than ever.’
Henry Slade is fit to play against New Zealand after returning from a shoulder injury
England head coach Steve Borthwick announced his squad to face the All Blacks on Tuesday
Bath’s Ben Spencer (right) is set to make first England start at scrum-half in series opener
Borthwick named his team for New Zealand on Tuesday, two days earlier than planned.
Spencer, 32, will begin the game with Northampton’s Alex Mitchell out injured. Bath captain Spencer has been selected ahead of Jack van Poortvliet with Bristol’s Harry Randall on the bench.
England forward Ollie Chessum has been ruled out of the entire autumn campaign and won’t be fit until 2025 after undergoing knee surgery.
Leicester man Chessum had been pencilled in to start at No 6 against New Zealand prior to suffering a significant fitness blow on England’s Girona training camp last week.
With Chessum having had surgery, Chandler Cunningham-South starts at blindside flanker, with Tom Curry and Ben Earl alongside him in the back-row.
