England used the New Zealand warm-up to give Thomas Tuchel a look at different combinations, but the first-half ratings were driven by individual execution rather than anything broader. Marcus Rashford was rated 8/10, created five chances overall and looked the most threatening forward. Jordan Henderson was on his 90th England cap and completed more passes than anybody else.

Rashford was England's main attacking threat

The clearest positive for England came from Rashford, who kept asking questions from the left and ended the half as the most dangerous attacker on the pitch. Five chances is a healthy return in any friendly, and it fitted the overall verdict that he was England's standout forward.

Harry Kane also did his job. He flicked in Djed Spence's cross for his 79th England goal in first-half stoppage time, which gave the side something tangible before the rotation changed the game again after the break.

Henderson gave England control in midfield

Henderson's scoreline was not built on anything flashy, but it was effective. On his 90th cap, he completed more passes than anybody else, which is exactly the sort of detail that matters when a rotated side is trying to settle into a shape.

That is also why this kind of match matters for Tuchel. England are still being shaped for the World Cup run, with Croatia on 2026-06-17 next, then Ghana on 2026-06-23 and Panama on 2026-06-27. The result against New Zealand mattered less than seeing which players handled the first-half load properly, and Rashford and Henderson did that best.

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