Scarratt to make 100th England start against NZ

1 week ago 8

Women's Test: England v New Zealand

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 14 September Kick-off: 14:30 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC One, BBC iPlayer and online; updates connected BBC Radio 5 Live; substance commentary connected BBC Sport website & app

Centre Emily Scarratt volition commencement her 100th crippled for England connected Saturday against New Zealand successful the archetypal fixture astatine the recently named Allianz Stadium.

The 34-year-old is acceptable to travel Sarah Hunter and Rochelle Clark successful becoming the 3rd England subordinate to marque 100 starts, and is 1 of 5 changes from the starting XV that defeated France 38-19 successful Gloucester past weekend.

In a new-look beforehand row, Mackenzie Carson, Lark Atkin-Davies and Sarah Bern each travel successful for Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir.

Lock Abbie Ward returns from wounded for Sale's Morwenna Talling, who is named arsenic a replacement.

Scarratt's Loughborough Lightning team-mate Helena Rowland is named connected the seat pursuing her try-scoring instrumentality against France, arsenic the lone backline change.

The crippled against the satellite champions is the 2nd warm-up lucifer earlier WXV aboriginal this month, and volition beryllium the archetypal played since Twickenham's naming rights were sold to Allianz.

Scarratt was moved from her accustomed presumption of extracurricular centre to wrong centre by England caput manager John Mitchell for this year's Six Nations, but struggled to nail down her caller presumption aft lone returning from cervix surgery, which ruled the 34-year-old retired for implicit a year.

"It [100 starts] is simply a fantastic accomplishment and we request those benignant of radical successful our game. She is an inspiration to the aboriginal and now," Mitchell said.

"She volition inactive enactment successful the crippled extracurricular of playing arsenic she is simply a bully person. You tin archer her crippled inactive means a batch to her.

"Some players, erstwhile they get to a constituent of a bid of cumulative injuries, marque it a large situation to travel backmost but she has got immoderate finishing goals [in her career] determination which is truly important.

"I americium much funny successful acquisition and enthusiasm, she has both."

The Black Ferns were the past broadside to bushed England, securing a melodramatic triumph successful the World Cup last successful 2022, though Mitchell's broadside gained immoderate revenge by defeating them successful Auckland to triumph past year's WXV tournament.

Mitchell, who coached the All Blacks from 2001–2003, besides comes up against his autochthonal country.

"I americium respectful but similar immoderate hostile I americium arsenic competitory arsenic anyone, careless of being calved successful New Zealand oregon holding a New Zealand passport," the 60-year-old added.

"It gave maine the accidental to beryllium present now, I volition ne'er hide that."

Gloucester-Hartpury's Georgia Brock is acceptable to marque her debut successful the backmost enactment disconnected the bench.

Exeter Chiefs flanker Maddie Feaunati made her archetypal commencement for the Red Roses against France astatine Kingsholm Stadium and is retained successful the starting XV.

The 22-year-old is joined by skipper Marlie Packer and fig 8 Alex Matthews successful an unchanged backmost row.

Inside centre Tatyana Heard volition spouse the 112-cap Scarratt successful midfield, portion the ever-present backmost 3 of Abby Dow, Jess Breach and Ellie Kildunne remains unchanged.

Only scrum-half Natasha Hunt, Packer and Scarratt past from New Zealand's last sojourn to Twickenham successful December 2012.

More than 40,000 fans are expected astatine Allianz Stadium connected Saturday.

England: Kildunne; Dow, Scarratt, Heard, Breach; Aitchison, Hunt; Carson, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Aldcroft, Ward, Feaunati, M Packer (capt), Matthews.

Replacements: Cokayne, Botterman, Muir, Talling, Brock, L Packer, Harrison, Rowland.

Read Entire Article