- Steve Borthwick wants players to be free of uncertainty
- Marcus Smith likely to keep fly-half place for All Blacks
England are keen to name an unchanged starting lineup for their upcoming first Test against New Zealand as part of a deliberate plan to maximise the chances of a series win over the All Blacks. It means Marcus Smith is set to be retained at fly-half while the experiment of employing the No 8 Ben Earl as an additional centre later in games will also continue.
In the wake of his side’s 52-17 victory against Japan the head coach, Steve Borthwick, has reiterated his belief that greater consistency in selection and approach is crucial if England are to re-emerge as a serious global force. Assuming their flanker Chandler Cunningham-South recovers from a sore ankle that will be monitored this week, personnel changes will be few for the team’s series opener in Dunedin on Saturday week.
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/23/rugby-england-want-same-starting-xv-for-new-zealand-in-drive-for-consistency
Author : Robert Kitson in Tokyo
Publish date : 2024-06-23 14:01:25
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