England hope part-time dentist Liz Crake adds bite to their battle in Bordeaux

England have turned to a part-time dentist to complete their bench for Sunday’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France after encountering mixed fortunes on the injury front.

Liz Crake has been picked as prop cover for Mackenzie Carson after Kelsey Clifford was ruled out of the trip to Bordeaux by a knee injury, joining first choice loosehead Hannah Botterman in receiving treatment.

Crake is poised to win her third cap but does so as a semi-professional who combines working as a dentist in south west London and as a lecturer at Bristol University with her playing career at Saracens.

The 31-year-old features a week after recruitment consultant Christiana Balogun, who plays in the back-row for Bristol, made her debut off the bench due to Maddie Feaunati’s late withdrawal from the side to face Italy.

England were the first women’s rugby nation to go fully professional in 2019, but even seven years later some international players are still having to juggle responsibilities.

Red Roses captain Meg Jones said: “They’re two remarkable humans and have been showing up consistently for us.

“The way they’re able to come in and switch on and off based on their other circumstances…they are full of resilience.

“It’s definitely probably one of those things that you take for granted when you’ve been in it for so long.

“I’ve been pro now for over 10 years, which is huge, but there are still players within PWR (Premiership Women’s Rugby) coming into England set-ups while still having to earn their cash and having their way to live.

“We’re fully aware of that and we empathise, but you wouldn’t notice any difference. They understand that when you come in, you’re switched on and this is what you have to turn up for.”

England’s Women’s Six Nations has unfolded against the backdrop of a lengthy and ever changing list of absentees because of pregnancy and injury with Clifford just the latest World Cup winner to become unavailable.

However, their pack has been reinforced by the return of second row Lilli Ives Campion, flanker Sadia Kabeya and number eight Feaunati from the treatment room in time for the Championship’s main event.

Head coach John Mitchell has made seven personnel changes to the side that thumped Italy, including the return of Jess Breach and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald on the wings.

Ellie Kildunne switches to her usual position of full-back, while Carson and Sarah Bern take over at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively.

England are targeting the 38th successive victory that will deliver a fifth consecutive Grand Slam but post-Women’s Rugby World Cup flux in their team, as well as a leaky defence, have prompted some to predict an upset in Bordeaux.

But Mitchell said: “We love being the standard bearers of consistency. And with that, we’re saying ‘come and get us’.

“Somebody’s going to get us, we understand that reality and we shouldn’t be disgraced if somebody does get us. That little bit of edge drives us because we don’t want to give that up easily.”