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Trio return as England name three uncapped players in Women's Six Nations squad

Abbie Ward of England arrives ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final match between New Zealand and England at Eden Park on November 12, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

John Mitchell has named three uncapped players in his first Women’s Six Nations squad as England coach.

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Forwards Maddie Feaunati and Lizzie Hanlon have been rewarded for their form with Exeter Chiefs with a place in the 35-player squad, as has Trailfinders Women winger Vicky Laflin.

Leeds-born flanker Feaunati is the daughter of former Samoa number eight Issac Feaunati and had been included in the Hurricanes Poua squad for Super Rugby Aupiki 2024 prior to her Red Roses call-up.

Prop Hanlon has been an ever-present for third-placed Chiefs in this season’s Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), while Laflin has scored four tries in Trailfinders’ first campaign in the top flight.

Mitchell is also able to welcome back a trio of experienced players, Zoe Harrison, Emily Scarratt and Abbie Ward ahead of a tournament that the defending champions will start as overwhelming favourites.

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Neither Harrison, Scarratt nor Ward have been included in a tournament squad since the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021, which ended in final heartbreak for the Red Roses as they lost to hosts New Zealand in November 2022.

Saracens centre Sophie Bridger, meanwhile, has been called up to a Six Nations squad for the first time and there is also room for her club-mate Sydney Gregson who won the last of her three Test caps in 2015.

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Marlie Packer will once again captain the squad, having led the Red Roses to a Six Nations Grand Slam and the inaugural WXV 1 title in her first year in the role. Packer is one cap away from becoming a Test centurion.

Sarah Bern, Nancy McGillivray and Claudia MacDonald have been ruled out of the tournament through injury – the latter having picked up another neck injury – while the sidelined Katie Buchanan could regain fitness before the end of the Championship. Maisy Allen, Delaney Burns, Lilli Ives Campion and Liz Crake will come into England’s training camp this week as cover.

The squad named by Mitchell on Monday has a combined total of 1,109 caps and contains 19 forwards and 16 backs.

“The Six Nations is an awesome tournament and we have named squad where competition for a place in the matchday 23 exists in every position,” Mitchell said.

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“The girls are showing signs of building good habits when they come into camp and bring with them a great attitude and fantastic energy, which follows on from the commitment they show to their club week on week.

“The Red Roses have excelled in this tournament for a long time. There is a hunger to stay the best, but we must earn the right to win Test matches. We are focused on improving performance and putting teams under more pressure to create a variety of scoring opportunities.

“There is a great excitement around the group, and we are relishing the challenge of the next seven weeks.”

England will begin their title defence against Italy in Parma on 24 March before hosting Wales at Ashton Gate six days later.

Scotland host the Red Roses at Hive Stadium on 13 April before they return to Twickenham to take on Ireland seven days later. Their Championship campaign comes to a close at Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, against 2023 runners-up France.

England squad:

Forwards: Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears), Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury), Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears), Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury), Poppy Cleall (Saracens), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs), Rosie Galligan (Saracens), Lizzie Hanlon (Exeter Chiefs), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Cath O’Donnell (Loughborough Lightning), Marlie Packer (Saracens), Connie Powell (Harlequins), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears).

Backs: Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears), Sophie Bridger (Saracens), Jess Breach (Saracens), Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women), Sydney Gregson (Saracens), Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers), Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins), Vicky Laflin (Trailfinders Women), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning), Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury), Ella Wyrwas (Saracens).

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TT 2 hours ago
France snubbing New Zealand tour shows the difference in priorities

Reading this article is like reading someone having a mental breakdown.


European rugby is in endless bankruptcies,  its national sides in endless RWC failings & some of its clubs are only season to season financial propositions BUT, according to the author’s conspiracies, its New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby that, quote, ‘simply isn’t a competition people should take seriously’ (??!!).


That idea while New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby participant clubs continue to profit after 130+ years (& similar traditional Oz club longevity).


Yet it's NZ/Oz rugby that has the viability problem!???


Reality is difficult for you author. See a doctor. Urgently!


But the author's mad rant continues, with the insistence that the way to fix his conspiracy of a sick  Super Pacific Rugby is for it to let all its top players run away OS (surprise, surprise, to Europe to fix its club rugby) by removing OS restrictions  of its best players.


Hurry call an ambulance for the author.


It's simple, a mass exodus of high skill therefore high entertainment players (will that even happen?? ie again given the increasing European restrictions & financial stress in European clubs) will kill the core business of INTEREST in NZ comps & therefore lose the life blood $ of those same TV rights, sponsorships, gate entry, memberships, merchandise, etc. Mass loss in  audience INTEREST & its resulting $$ loss.


RE the French B team for NZ 2025 tests,


If you wanna see where test rugby could end up as (ie 2nd rate) if it continues to allow the  French mismanagement, look at what ‘Indian club cricket money’ control  is doing to test cricket, ie because of A international test team players contracts with  Indian clubs & their $, those players not available for international tests eg South Africa send a ‘B’ test cricket team to NZ last year, likewise West  Indies send a ‘B’ test cricket team to OZ last year.


Relevance to test  rugby & ABs? 

France's reason for not sending their A team for the AB tests in 2025? Quote, 'resting them (!) for the Top 14 club rugby commitments'.


World Rugby is failing to manage & protect the game again.


France CHOSE to make its extra long Top 14  season & not respect the World rugby international window.


France should be removed from test rugby til they do respect it.


Or test rugby will be like failing test cricket very soon by letting national club $ rule over the international game.


If World Rugby allows the degrading of international game it will degrade audience (therefore ratings ), will degrade the $, hence will degrade the $ to players & rugby generally.


World Rugby, Prioritise the international window OVER national club window.


Especially over (despite all it endless irrational hype) failing European club rugby.

76 Go to comments
N
NH 6 hours ago
Will overseas selection make the difference for British and Irish Lions?

Nice one nick and thanks for this. I think there are two things here 1) is that teams are probably now prepared and ready for this shape on the exits, and 2) the wbs seemed to go into their shell a bit vs scotland/ireland and reduced their exit variety. In previous games, the wallabies did really well imo in mixing their exits up between kicking out on the full, contested box kicks, cross field bombs, midfield chips, and run it via the shape you show. Not all of them worked but it puts opposition backfield in 2 minds imo. Vs england, they also seemed to have a clear plan to keep the ball in play to keep it uptempo whereas ireland and scotland they put it out. I think that schmidt might need to add some variety to this shape by maybe either having wright/ikitau kicking it down that openside wing if they feel its not on, hitting one of the forward pod runners and playing phase 2 etc etc. This begs the Q for me - if gordon is getting no extra distance on his exits which is his point of difference, should we just start tate and come up with an alternate exit strategy? And the other part - what are you seeing after these exits? ie gordon puts it out, ireland throw in and then??? Here, I feel like the wallabies can't piggyback out of there half by forcing an error/turnover. Against the boks, I remember the wbs defended relatively well but it was just like waves on a rock wall, the boks kept coming, wallabies somehow get the ball and kick it out, boks lineout and 5 phases later wbs are back on their line defending and hanging on by a thread. These teams can still keep possession too easily imo and put the wbs under pressure rather than the other way around.

13 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England needs a new domestic dynasty. Without one they'll never win in Europe again England needs a new domestic dynasty. Without one they'll never win in Europe again
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