Steve Borthwick reveals England XV to face New Zealand 48 hours early

Steve Borthwick has reshuffled his England props for the first Test against New Zealand, with Joe Marler brought back into the starting XV and Harlequins prodigy Fin Baxter set for a debut.

While the rest of the Red Rose line-up is unchanged, the front row has been overhauled after the 52-17 win over Japan in Tokyo on June 22. Marler returns to the No 1 shirt in place of Bevan Rodd, with the Sale loosehead omitted from the match-day 23 entirely for Saturday’s series opener in Dunedin.

Quins veteran Marler will win a 95th cap for his country at the age of 33, and will be under-studied by the rookie club-mate who he has acted as a mentor for. Baxter is primed to make his first England appearance, as due reward for a supreme season. 

The 22-year-old demonstrated his ability to wreak set-piece havoc, notably during a famous Champions Cup victory over Bordeaux in France, when he eclipsed the hosts’ massive Tongan icon Ben Tameifuna.

There is also change at the other side of the tourists’ front row, in keeping with the recent trend for Borthwick to alternate deploying his experienced props in the starting side. Bath’s Will Stuart takes over from Dan Cole at tighthead, with the 37-year-old Tiger joining the support cast on the bench.

Joe Marler returns to the England srarting XI as they prepare to face New Zealand away 

Fin Baxter, 22, is handed his debut as England search for a first win at the All Blacks since 2003

Steve Borthwick has thrown down the gauntlet by naming his squad 48 hours early 

Once Chandler Cunningham-South had recovered from an ankle knock he suffered in the win over Tokyo, there was every chance that Borthwick would seek selection continuity in most areas of his team. 

That is certainly the case in the XV – with Marcus Smith retaining the No 10 shirt as expected – but there are further changes among the replacements.

Alex Coles of Northampton replaces banned lock Charlie Ewels and Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer has been preferred to Bristol’s Harry Randall, which suggests there will be an emphasis on control rather than tempo in the closing stages in Dunedin. 

However, there is express pace in reserve too, with the uncapped Saints wing Ollie Sleightholme – the top try-scorer in the Premiership this season – picked ahead of Sale’s Tom Roebuck, who made a cameo debut in Tokyo.

Once again, Borthwick has opted to name his team earlier in the week than usual, which is a positive sign of confidence and relative continuity. Setting the scene on the weekend’s daunting assignment, the head coach said: ‘It doesn’t get more challenging than playing New Zealand at home, but it’s exactly where we want to be. We want to test ourselves against the best teams in the world.

‘Test rugby is a game of fine margins, so our mindset is going to be very important on Saturday. We’ll need to be mentally strong, play a tactically smart game and ensure we maintain our discipline. 

‘The Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin is a great venue with a quick surface and the closed roof should make the atmosphere very special.’