Zoe Harrison has won the fly-half battle for England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup opener against the USA in Sunderland on Friday evening.
Head coach John Mitchell has opted for the same starting XV that so impressively beat France 40-6 in their final warm-up match ahead of the World Cup, meaning Harrison will be pulling the strings from No 10.
The identity of the starting Red Roses fly half in the biggest matches has been up for debate but Harrison – with her tactically astute play and impeccable kicking from hand – has been preferred to Holly Aitchison and Helena Rowland in the role.
Given England’s status as heavy favourites to win the title and the undisputed No 1 team in the world, Mitchell will have plenty of opportunity to rotate his side – especially in the group stage – but Harrison’s selection for the opener at the Stadium of Light, where a record crowd for a Women’s Rugby World Cup opening match is expected with over 40,000 tickets sold, appears to give her a leg up over her positional rivals.
The 27-year-old renews her half-back partnership with Mo Hunt, while the blossoming centre pairing of Tatyana Heard and Meg Jones are given another run-out and an explosive back three of Jess Breach, Abby Dow and women’s World Rugby player of the year Ellie Kildunne will look to do damage against a US backline that is likely to be overmatched.
The Red Roses are on a remarkable 27-game winning run, with their last defeat coming against New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final, and the expectation is that they will lift the World Cup for just the third time next month.
In the convincing warm-up win over Six Nations rivals France, it was the England pack that most impressed as their fearsome driving maul splintered the French forwards, and that starting front eight will get an opportunity to immediately show their class on the World Cup stage.
Captain Zoe Aldcroft leads from blindside flanker, in an exciting back row containing Alex Matthews at No 8 and openside Sadia Kabeya, which means that ex-skipper Marlie Packer – who is available again after serving a one-match ban for her sending off in the 97-7 obliteration of Spain –misses out and isn’t even given a place on the bench, highlighting just how far she has dropped in the pecking order since her days as the Red Roses talisman.
Abbie Ward starts alongside Morwenna Talling in the second row, with Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir combining in the front row.
Among the replacements, Emily Scarratt is set to appear in her fifth Rugby World Cup, having debuted the last time England hosted the tournament in 2010, while, at the other end of the spectrum, Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati and Emma Sing could all make World Cup debuts from the bench.
“We have been building nicely into the tournament and now we’re excited to get our campaign underway,” Mitchell said. “Sunderland have been a great host city thus far and we know it’ll be a record crowd for a Women’s Rugby World Cup opening match which shows the appetite for rugby in this region and for the competition ahead.
“We want to embrace the occasion whilst understanding we have to remain where our feet are and earn the right to progress through the pool stage.”
Red Roses team to play USA in World Cup opener
15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 53 caps)
14 Abby Dow (Unattached, 54 caps)
13 Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, 27 caps)
12 Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 31 caps)
11 Jess Breach (Saracens, 47 caps)
10 Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 59 caps)
9 Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 82 caps)
1 Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 58 caps)
2 Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, 84 caps)
3 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 42 caps)
4 Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 23 caps)
5 Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 76 caps)
6 Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 65 caps) – captain
7 Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 23 caps)
8 Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 76 caps)
Replacements
16 Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 68 caps)
17 Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 15 caps)
18 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 73 caps)
19 Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 25 caps)
20 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps)
21 Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 33 caps)
22 Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 118 caps)
23 Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 10 caps)
