Henry Slade Returns to England XV for Fiji Match

Centre Henry Slade returned to the England starting line-up for the must-win game against Fiji on Saturday, as head coach Steve Borthwick aimed to avoid a sixth consecutive Test defeat. Slade, who did not participate in England's Six Nations campaign earlier this year, expressed frustration at being sidelined in the midfield. He concluded the domestic season in strong form, guiding Exeter to the Premiership final.

With Slade's return, Northampton's Tommy Freeman was shifted back to his preferred wing position after a year-long trial at outside centre. Guy Pepper replaced Tom Curry at openside flanker, marking the only other change to the starting XV. Additionally, the uncapped trio of Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Noah Caluori, and George Kloska were set to potentially make their Test debuts from the bench.

Slade had been a late addition to the matchday 23 for England's game against South Africa last Saturday and filled in on the bench after starting full-back George Furbank underwent surgery for appendicitis. Slade entered the game for injured wing Cadan Murley at the 54-minute mark, as England concluded the match with a 45-21 defeat to the Springboks, maintaining the same backline named for the match against Fiji.

Borthwick stated, "We’ve had a really positive week of preparation, and the players have worked hard in training. We know Fiji will provide a tough challenge. They are a dangerous side who will demand the very best from us."England's loss to South Africa followed a disappointing Six Nations campaign characterized by defeats against Scotland, Ireland, Italy, and France. While Rugby Football Union officials expressed their support for Borthwick leading up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, confidence from fans may wane if the losing streak continues.

England is scheduled to travel to Argentina on 18 July for the final match of the summer leg of the new Nations Championships. The England team for the Fiji match includes: M Smith; Freeman, Slade, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, van Poortvliet; Genge, George, Heyes, Coles, Martin, Chessum, Pepper, Earl. The replacements are Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Kloska, Curry, Pollock, Mitchell, Janse van Rensburg, and Caluori.

The match, part of the Nations Championship, will kick off on Saturday, 11 July, at 14:10 BST at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. It will be available to listen to live on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app, accompanied by live text commentary.