Marlie Packer will captain the Red Roses against Samoa on Saturday as one of 13 changes to England’s starting XV from their opening 69-7 win against the USA at the Rugby World Cup.
Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Helena Rowland, who were injured for the first game, are both named in the starting team at wing and fly-half, respectively. Holly Aitchison, who also did not play against the USA with a knock, is again absent from the matchday squad.
Jess Breach retains position on the wing and is one try away from scoring her 50th try for her country. Centre Megan Jones is the other player who will line up again in the same jersey and she will form a fresh centre partnership with Jade Shekells, who comes in for Tatyana Heard.
Emma Sing, who made an appearance from the bench last Friday, starts at full-back with Ellie Kildunne on the bench.
Packer lines up at openside flanker with Maddie Feaunati at No 8 and Abi Burton, who will make her World Cup debut, at blindside flanker. The captain Zoe Aldcroft does not feature in the matchday 23 with England’s head coach, John Mitchell, opting to rotate his squad in the pool stages.
Lilli Ives Campion will also make her tournament debut alongside Rosie Galligan in the second row for the second of three pool games as the team switch to Northampton after opening up their campaign in Sunderland.
Mitchell said: “It has been in our planning to give everyone game time over the first two pool matches and, bar Holly, we’ve been able to execute that with this selection.
“Our new combination want to make each other proud and build on our performance against USA in our opening match.
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“It will be a great atmosphere for them at one of the most traditional rugby grounds in the country. They’re all excited to get out there.”
England: Sing; Breach, Jones, Shekells, Moloney-MacDonald; Rowland, L Packer; Clifford, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Campion, Galligan, Burton, M Packer, Feaunati. Replacements: Campbell, Carson, Muir, Talling, Kabeya, Hunt, Harrison, Kildunne
