Red Roses team: John Mitchell makes three changes after Canada draw as World Cup winners start
Red Roses head coach John Mitchell (left) has made three changes to his side to face the Black Ferns, with Sarah Bern (right) among them
Red Roses head coach John Mitchell has made three changes to his starting XV to face the Black Ferns this weekend, with three World Cup winners added to the run-on group.
The changes come in the wake of their 26-26 draw against Canada in round two of the WXV competition, bringing to an end their 39-Test winning run, as the Red Roses prepare to face the number two side in the world at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Over 50,000 supporters will be there to watch the Test live, which comes nearly a year to the day since the Red Roses‘ World Cup triumph on the same ground.
Red Roses make three changes for Black Ferns Test
While Mitchell has made changes to his run-on group, none of them come in the backline with the same unit retained from that draw at Sandy Park.
Ellie Kildunne starts at full-back, with Jess Breach and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald named on the wings. Captain Meg Jones features alongside Helena Rowland in the centres, while Zoe Harrison and Lucy Packer form the half-back pairing.
The first of the three changes comes in the back-row, with Maddie Feaunati selected at number eight, joining Sadia Kabeya and Alex Matthews in the back-row. Lilli Ives Campion and Morwenna Talling start in the locks. Sarah Bern and Mackenzie Carson are also promoted into the run-on group, joining Bryony Field in the front-row.
May Campbell, Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir, Abi Burton, Marlie Packer, Mo Hunt, Tatyana Heard and Emma Sing are named as the replacements.
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Commenting on his selection, Mitchell said: “We’re moving forward in the right direction whilst building depth in our cover. Now we look forward to renewing a rivalry with a New Zealand side we haven’t played since 2024. They are playing good rugby at the moment and it’s no surprise to see them raise their standards.
“Test matches against the best teams in the world are what we relish and look forward to, especially at Allianz Stadium.”
Red Roses team in full
Red Roses: 15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Jess Breach, 13 Megan Jones (c), 12 Helena Rowland, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Lucy Packer, 8 Maddie Feaunati, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 6 Alex Matthews, 5 Lilli Ives Campion, 4 Morwenna Talling, 3 Sarah Bern, 2 Bryony Field, 1 Mackenzie Carson
Replacements: 16 May Campbell, 17 Hannah Botterman, 18 Maud Muir, 19 Abi Burton, 20 Marlie Packer, 21 Natasha Hunt, 22 Tatyana Heard, 23 Emma Sing
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)
Assistant referees: Ben Connor (WRU) and Beatrice Smussi (FIR)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
FPRO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)
How to watch: England Rugby YouTube channel, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app
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