Steve Borthwick has named his England team to play the All Blacks, as his team end their Summer series this Saturday at Eden Park.
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The England head coach has opted for a similar side that were narrowly beaten 16-15 in Dunedin, with just one enforced change coming in the front row.
There has been a change in the front row for England, with Joe Marler ruled out of the second Test following a severe foot injury. The Harlequin loose-head injured his foot in a scrum, and departed for a debuting Fin Baxter after just 20 minutes of play. Baxter is set for his first England start and has been amongst the spotlight after a stunning scrummaging effort in the first Test.
England prop Dan Cole is set become the second most capped men’s player this weekend, when he comes off the bench against New Zealand. Borthwick praised the Leicester Tigers man upon reaching the milestone for his 114th cap. The England head coach also did not play down the magnitude of taking on the All Blacks at Eden Park; a place in which New Zealand have not lost in 30 years.
“Eden Park is a stadium packed with history and with memories of great rugby encounters,” said Borthwick.
“We are delighted to be playing there this Saturday in what I anticipate will be another excellent Test encounter.
“New Zealand has a formidable record at this venue, but with that comes the pressure of expectation. It will be interesting to see how New Zealand manages that expectation in front of a full house.
“I’d like to pay special tribute to Dan Cole who will become England’s second most capped men’s player of all time on the weekend.
“Dan has shown nothing but dedication and determination throughout his career, and reaching this milestone is a remarkable feat. He is a superb rugby player, a wonderful role model, and we all look forward to sharing a memorable day with him on Saturday.”
England team to play All Blacks – 2024 Summer Series Tour Second Test
15. George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 11 caps)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 5 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 64 caps) – vice-captain
12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 26 caps)
11. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)
10. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 34 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 17 caps)
1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 1 cap)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 92 caps) – captain
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 40 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 83 caps) – vice-captain
5. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
6. Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 6 caps)
7. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 37 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 32 caps) – vice-captain
Replacements:
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 13 caps)
17. Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)
18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 114 caps)
19. Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
20. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 52 caps)
21. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 6 caps)
22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 4 caps)
23. Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 1 cap)
Joe Marler didn’t speak to teammate for 18 months, they just didn’t get on
England prop Joe Marler is never afraid of sharing an opinion or two – especially when it’s about someone he doesn’t particularly like.
#1. Sir Clive Woodward
Woodward tore apart Eddie Jones’ side during a webinar, slamming Marler and fellow prop Dan Cole for their behaviour in a press conference prior to the loss against South Africa back in November. This wasn’t the first time the 2003 World Cup-winning coach called out the prop.
After reading an article on the Rugby Pass website highlighting Woodward’s comments, he tweeted him directly, saying: “Change the record Sir Clive – you should be grateful you can ‘milk the cow’ for another 3 years.”
#2. Israel Folau
Over 1,000 days since Folau last played a professional match of rugby union, Marler’s old Twitter sparring partner made his return to the sport over the weekend.
The loose-head prop takes any chance he can to call out the former Wallabies fullback, who could soon represent Tonga, for his homophobic views.
In a series of tweets sent directly to Folau, Marler attached pictures and GIFs of men kissing, in a display of defiant humour which was praised by fellow players and LGBTQ fans alike.
Marler later named Folau in his dream team in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
On selecting Folau as his fullback, Marler commented, “On the night out, after we had played our match on the Saturday, I’d take him out in Brighton to The Blue Oyster… a couple of clubs.”