Steve Borthwick recalled centre Henry Slade to the starting line-up for Saturday's match against Fiji. Slade missed the entire Six Nations campaign but returns after leading Exeter to the Premiership final. His inclusion pushes Tommy Freeman back to the wing, ending a year-long attempt to convert the Northampton player into an outside centre.

One other change hits the forward pack, where Guy Pepper starts at openside flanker in place of Tom Curry. Borthwick also named three uncapped players on the bench: Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Noah Caluori, and George Kloska.

England enters this match desperate to stop a slide of five straight Test losses. This selection shift suggests Borthwick is prioritizing domestic form over previous tactical experiments to stabilize a midfield that struggled during the Six Nations. If Slade fails to provide immediate cohesion, England risks a sixth consecutive defeat, which would put immense pressure on the current coaching regime.