England Head Coach Borthwick Confident in Slade’s Readiness for All Blacks Clash
In a surprising move, England’s head coach Steve Borthwick has denied that it was a risk to start Henry Slade against New Zealand in the upcoming autumn Test, despite the center’s limited playing time this season. Slade, who has made a return from shoulder surgery, will be part of the settled England side that faces the All Blacks at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Borthwick firmly believes that Slade is fit and in fantastic condition, stating, >*”He’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him. He’s in great shape. He’s a player who is energized and will go really well on Saturday.”*
The experienced midfielder is an integral part of the England setup, and Borthwick has expressed confidence in his readiness to perform at the Test level.
Furthermore, the England head coach has announced his squad for the New Zealand clash two days earlier than planned. Bath’s Ben Spencer will make his first Test start at scrum-half, replacing the injured Alex Mitchell of Northampton. Spencer has been selected ahead of Jack van Poortvliet, with Bristol’s Harry Randall named on the bench.
Notably, England forward Ollie Chessum has been ruled out of the entire autumn campaign and will not be fit until 2025 after undergoing knee surgery. Chessum had been expected to start at blindside flanker against the All Blacks, but his significant injury has led to Chandler Cunningham-South taking his place, alongside Tom Curry and Ben Earl in the back-row.
🔗 Source
