Rugby: Coach Steve Borthwick names settled England side to play All Blacks

England coach Steve Borthwick has tweaked his front row for Saturday's series-opener against New Zealand but otherwise kept faith with the starting side that thrashed Eddie Jones's inexperienced Japan in Tokyo last month.

Joe Marler replaces the omitted Bevan Rodd at loosehead prop, with tighthead Will Stuart replacing the demoted Dan Cole in the only changes to the starting 15 for the game at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr stadium.

The uncapped duo of prop Fin Baxter and winger Ollie Sleightholme will hope to make their England debuts from the bench.

Alex Coles and Ben Spencer have also been called in to the shaken-up reserves, with Charlie Ewels ruled out of the New Zealand tour due to suspension and Tom Curry, Harry Randall and Tom Roebuck all dropped from the match-day 23.

"It doesn't get more challenging than playing New Zealand at home, but it's exactly where we want to be," Borthwick said in a team release.

"We want to find out more about ourselves and test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world."

England: 1-Joe Marler, 2-Jamie George (capt), 3-Will Stuart, 4-Maro Itoje, 5-George Martin, 6-Chandler Cunningham-South, 7-Sam Underhill, 8-Ben Earl, 9-Alex Mitchell, 10-Marcus Smith, 11-Tommy Freeman, 12-Ollie Lawrence, 13-Henry Slade, 14-Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 15-George Furbank

Reserves: 16-Theo Dan, 17-Fin Baxter, 18-Dan Cole, 19- Alex Coles, 20-Tom Curry, 21-Ben Spencer, 22-Fin Smith, 23- Ollie Sleightholme

Reuters.

England coach Steve Borthwick has tweaked his front row for Saturday's series-opener against New Zealand but otherwise kept faith with the starting side that thrashed Eddie Jones's inexperienced Japan in Tokyo last month.

Joe Marler replaces the omitted Bevan Rodd at loosehead prop, with tighthead Will Stuart replacing the demoted Dan Cole in the only changes to the starting 15 for the game at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr stadium.

The uncapped duo of prop Fin Baxter and winger Ollie Sleightholme will hope to make their England debuts from the bench.

Alex Coles and Ben Spencer have also been called in to the shaken-up reserves, with Charlie Ewels ruled out of the New Zealand tour due to suspension and Tom Curry, Harry Randall and Tom Roebuck all dropped from the match-day 23.

"It doesn't get more challenging than playing New Zealand at home, but it's exactly where we want to be," Borthwick said in a team release.

"We want to find out more about ourselves and test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world."

England: 1-Joe Marler, 2-Jamie George (capt), 3-Will Stuart, 4-Maro Itoje, 5-George Martin, 6-Chandler Cunningham-South, 7-Sam Underhill, 8-Ben Earl, 9-Alex Mitchell, 10-Marcus Smith, 11-Tommy Freeman, 12-Ollie Lawrence, 13-Henry Slade, 14-Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 15-George Furbank

Reserves: 16-Theo Dan, 17-Fin Baxter, 18-Dan Cole, 19- Alex Coles, 20-Tom Curry, 21-Ben Spencer, 22-Fin Smith, 23- Ollie Sleightholme

Reuters.

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