'I think I actually punched him': England back-row Alex Matthews

England back-rower Alex Matthews gave head coach John Mitchell a playful punch after being appointed captain for Saturday’s World Cup showdown with Australia.

The 32-year-old will lead her country for only the second time as the Red Roses attempt to clinch top spot in Pool A by avoiding defeat to the Wallaroos in Brighton.

With regular skipper Zoe Aldcroft sidelined until the knockout stages due to a knee issue and former captain Marlie Packer left out of the matchday 23, media-shy Matthews was selected for the role ahead of vice-captain Megan Jones.

She previously took on the responsibility against the United States at the 2024 WXV tournament in Canada.

“I think I actually punched him, a little nudge on the shoulder; I was like, ‘what are you doing to me?’,” Matthews told reporters after being asked for her reaction to being given the news by Mitchell.

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“I just said ‘nothing changes’. I have been through this against the USA over in Canada, so I’ve rehearsed it.

“I was taken aback, it is pretty cool, isn’t it? Pretty special, especially in a World Cup.

“But the leadership group we have got here is phenomenal. I just said to Abbie (Ward), ‘captain is not a bit of me’. And she said, ‘it is definitely a bit of you and you know you have got enough of us around you’.”

Matthews, who is playing at her fourth World Cup and lifted the trophy in 2014, is England’s third skipper in as many games and tends to lead by example, rather than being a natural orator.

Packer captained the hosts for last weekend’s 92-3 win over Samoa in Northampton after fellow flanker Aldcroft led the team for the 69-7 opening victory over the United States in Sunderland.

Mitchell outlined a preference for having his captain in the back row and close to the referee as he explained his decision for picking number eight Matthews ahead of centre Jones.

“Meg is a brilliant vice-captain (but) there is no rights to captaincy just because you are vice-captain, simple as that,” said the New Zealander, a number eight during his playing days.

“You have got one of the best number eights in the world arguably and she has demonstrated excellence for a long period of time and I love leaders that other players can follow through their actions.

“We just happen to have a superhuman that’s highly respected and a world-class player that demonstrates her performances through her actions.”

Mitchell has once again rung the changes, with only wing Jess Breach, who will win her 50th cap, Jones and lock Rosie Galligan retained in the starting XV.

With knockout rugby on the horizon, the 61-year-old acknowledged England are moving beyond the point of regular rotation.

“We will still be tactically, technically thinking where we can get advantages but everything is basically an end point from this point onwards,” he said.

“It is not about making wholesale changes; it is about cohesion and it is about belief that is being built.

“There’s two-and-a-half, three years of experience in this group so you have got to put your stamp on it at some point.

“We’ve really only just got started, so that’s the exciting bit. We’re on a mission to hunt our next opponent and earn the right to the next stages and that’s where our focus is.”