WOMENS RUGBY England World Cup semi-final XV

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Last Updated on Thursday, 03 November 2022 09:08

Published on Thursday, 03 November 2022 09:07

England’s most capped player Sarah Hunter captains the side to play Canada in this weekend’s Rugby World Cup semi-final at Eden Park at number eight with centre Emily Scarratt vice-captain on Saturday (0330 GMT).

Exeter Chiefs Claudia MacDonald returns on the left wing after missing the last two games due to injury.

Hannah Botterman comes into the starting XV at loose-head prop with Amy Cokayne (hooker) and Bristol’s Sarah Bern (tight-head prop) making up the front row.

Fresh from her player-of-the-match performance in England’s quarter-final win over Australia, Yeovil-born Marlie Packer is at open-side flanker with Gloucester-Hartpury’s Alex Matthews blind-side.

Gloucester-Hartpury’s Zoe Aldcroft and Bristol’s Abbie Ward continue as lock pairing.

Zoe Harrison and Gloucester-Hartputy’s Tatyana Heard are again the 10-12 axis with Saracens’ Leanne Infante at scrum half.

Head coach Simon Middleton said: “We are very much looking forward to returning to Eden Park for this weekend’s semi-final.

“I was really pleased with our performance against Australia in what were tough conditions. The players produced a professional performance and deserve great credit.

“Continuity is an important factor in team selection and we have achieved that through training, the pool stages and the quarter-final.

“Having said that, if you see an opportunity to improve or create different pictures that you believe could benefit the team’s performance, you have to be brave enough with your selections to make those calls. We have done that throughout the competition to date and that philosophy will not change.

“Canada are an opponent we know well with great pedigree and history in the women’s game. We know they are a strong side. We respect all they might bring but are focussed on our own performance.

“Our objective was to leave this country as a better squad than we arrived and to do that we need to move our game on again this week.

“If we do that and produce the level of performance we are capable of then we are confident we will get the right result.”

England matchday squad to play Canada

15. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 21 caps)

14. Abby Dow (Wasps, 29 caps)

13. Emily Scarratt (VC; Loughborough Lightning, 106 caps)

12. Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 7 caps)

11. Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 22 caps)

10. Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 44 caps)

9. Leanne Infante (Saracens, 56 caps)

1. Hannah Botterman (Saracens, 34 caps)

2. Amy Cokayne (Harlequins, 68 caps)

3. Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 50 caps)

4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 36 caps)

5. Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 59 caps)

6. Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 54 caps)

7. Marlie Packer (Saracens, 87 caps)

8. Sarah Hunter (C; Loughborough Lightning, 138 caps)

Finishers

16. Lark Davies (Bristol Bears, 42 caps)

17. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins, 73 caps)

18. Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 15 caps)

19. Rosie Galligan (Harlequins, 9 caps)

20. Poppy Cleall (Saracens, 61 caps)

21. Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 8 caps)

22. Holly Aitchison (Saracens, 13 caps)

23. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 29 caps)

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