All Blacks Recall Barrett, Shuffle Midfield for England

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett will return to the starting lineup against England at Twickenham.

sarah

Nov 13, 2025 - 21:23

All Blacks Recall Barrett, Shuffle Midfield for England

Head coach Scott Robertson will break up the in-form midfield partnership to fill the void left by the injured Caleb Clarke on the left wing.

In a major decision by Robertson this week, Leicester's Fainganuku will replace Clarke at center, while Billy Proctor will wear the No. 13 jersey for the eighth time this year, while another five-pointer, Quinn Tupaia, will also wear the No. 13 jersey this year.

Proctor will be under pressure to continue the tackle-breaking pace provided by Fainganuku and Tupaia in the last two Tests of the Grand Slam tour.

Anton Lienert-Brown is on the reserve bench as midfield cover for his potential third Test of the year.

The rest of the backline will remain the same, with Cam Roigard at halfback, Beauden Barrett in the No. 10 jersey, and Leroy Carter and Will Jordan as the other outside backs. Damian McKenzie, who performed well off the bench against Scotland, will remain in the No. 23 jersey this week.

There is no place for potential starter Rieko Ioane on the left wing. His last Test was against the Wallabies in Perth early last month.

After suffering a leg injury in Chicago and missing the Scotland Test, captain Barrett's return will provide much-needed leadership to a team facing a tough test against world number four England.

Barrett will start alongside Fabian Holland, while Josh Lord will sit on the bench.

In a small surprise, Robertson has also decided to break up his in-form loose forward trio, with Simon Parker – who is not needed at Murrayfield – starting in the No. 6 jersey alongside Ardie Savea and Peter Lakai. Wallace Citi has been benched.

Parker will be heavily involved and will be expected to perform consistently against a strong England squad. Citi, who received a yellow card against Scotland, has been selected to make an impact in the second half.

In a statement tonight, Robertson said of the Test, which kicks off at 4:10 a.m. on Sunday: "Twickenham is one of the iconic venues in world rugby, and there's nothing like hearing 80,000 fans singing 'Swing Low' to get the adrenaline pumping.

"Recent matches against England have been incredibly hard-fought, and both teams are on a winning streak, so we're expecting an exciting encounter on Saturday afternoon. We will thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and the occasion."

The Hillary Shield, which the All Blacks have held since 2013, will again be at stake, as this Test marks 100 years since the All Blacks' first Test match at Twickenham – played by the 'Invincibles' in January 1925.

Five of the last seven matches between the All Blacks and England have been decided by three points or less.

England last defeated the All Blacks in 2019 – a World Cup semi-final. New Zealand last lost at Twickenham in 2012.

The All Blacks team to play England at Twickenham:

1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Cody Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett (captain), 5. Fabian Holland, 6. Simon Parker, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Peter Lakai, 9. Cam Roegaard 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Leicester Fainganuku, 12. Quinn Tupaia, 13. Billy Proctor, 14. Leroy Carter, 15. Will Jordan.

Reserves: 16. Samisoni Taukeiaho, 17. Tamati Williams, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Josh Lord, 20. Wallace Siti, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Damian McKenzie.

Unavailable for selection: Caleb Clarke (concussion), Luke Jacobson (concussion), Samipeni Finau (family illness), Jordie Barrett (high ankle injury).