Spencer to make 1st England start vs. New Zealand

Ben Spencer will make his first England start at scrum-half in Saturday’s match against New Zealand with Henry Slade fit to play from the outset, it was announced on Tuesday.

Slade had shoulder surgery after the summer tour but featured for Exeter at the weekend, and he’s done enough to prove his fitness and gets the outside centre spot for the All Blacks.

Elsewhere, Bath’s Spencer steps in at scrum-half for his first start with regular No.9 Alex Mitchell injured while Marcus Smith gets the nod at fly-half and George Ford is on the bench.

But there is no place in the squad for Spencer’s Bath teammate Sam Underhill who had previously started every match of the year for England. Chandler Cunningham-South gets the nod at blindside with Tom Curry at openside, making his first start for England in a year. Ben Curry and Alex Dombrandt are named on the bench.

Jamie George skippers the side, with Steve Borthwick naming four vice-captains: Maro Itoje, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge and George Ford.

“We’re excited for the challenge of playing against one of the best teams in world rugby,” Borthwick said.

“We’ll need to be accurate, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity throughout the match, from the first whistle to the final moment.

“With just two games at Allianz Stadium in our last 15, it’s fantastic to be returning to play in front of our home crowd again. The energy and passion of our supporters always gives the team an extra lift.”

England team to face New Zealand:

George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Tommy Freeman, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (captain), Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Ben Earl

Replacements:

Theo Dan, Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall, George Ford

Analysis:

Ben Spencer has been the near-man at scrum-half since his breakthrough but has struggled to get a foothold in the role, so him being given the keys to No. 9 on Saturday is a big sign of faith in his ability to control the match from the outset. He’s one of the best scrum-halves in Europe and should dovetail nicely with Marcus Smith at fly-half. The omission of Spencer’s Bath teammate Sam Underhill is a surprise, given he has featured for England in every match this year, but Chandler Cunningham-South will be given licence to cause havoc from blindside.

The loss of Ollie Chessum will be felt, but George Martin is a more than able deputy in the locks, while Henry Slade and George Ford’s return to fitness will give a timely boost to England. Slade has only played 54 minutes of rugby this season after recovering from shoulder surgery while Ford is back available after injuring himself at the end of September. England head into a tricky four-Test schedule looking to put down a series of statement performances and will be looking for a 100% return at Twickenham, a place where they’ve had just two of their previous 15 matches.