Borthwick: Supporters' energy and passion will give England 'extra lift' against All Blacks

Steve Borthwick expects the "energy and passion of our supporters" to give England an "extra lift" when they face New Zealand on Saturday.

England welcome the All Blacks to the Allianz Stadium this weekend for their first match of this year's Autumn Nations Series.

Borthwick's side will be playing on home soil for only the third time in their last 16 internationals, and the head coach is pleased to be back in familiar surroundings.

"We're excited for the challenge of playing against one of the best teams in world rugby," he 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 give the team an extra lift."

Henry Slade will start at centre, despite playing just 54 minutes of club rugby this season after recovering from shoulder surgery, with Ben Spencer replacing the injured Alex Mitchell at scrum-half.

Ellis Genge is back after missing the summer tour of New Zealand with a calf injury, while there are also starts for Maro Itoje and Tom Curry, with George Ford named on the bench.

Bringing the heat Head coach Steve Borthwick has named his match day squad to face New Zealand at @allianz_stad this weekend in our opening Test of the @autumnnations series@O2 | #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/RT7TABrpwj

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 29, 2024