Womens’ Rugby World Cup Pool A: England v Australia
Venue:Brighton and Hove Albion StadiumDate:Saturday, 6 SeptemberKick-off:17:00 BST
Coverage:Live on My Newspaper Two, My Newspaper Radio Sports Extra, My Newspaper iPlayer and My Newspaper Sport website and app
Gloucester-Hartpury number eight Alex Matthews will lead England against Australia in their final Rugby World Cup pool match on Saturday, in the continued absence of regular captain Zoe Aldcroft.
Aldcroft suffered a knee injury in the tournament-opening win over the United Stateswhich has ruled her outuntil the knockout stages at least.
England’s quarter-final place is already assured but head coach John Mitchell has picked a near first-choice side, with 13 changes from the rotated side that thrashed Samoa last weekend.
Wing Jess Breach is one of those retained and wins her 50th cap ahead of Claudia Moloney-MacDonald.
Elsewhere, Morwenna Talling, more usually a second row, is included at flanker, with former skipper Marlie Packer not in the matchday squad.
Fly-half Holly Aitchison is poised to make her first appearance of the tournament off the bench after recovering from an ankle injury.
England will secure their place as winners of Pool A as long as they avoid defeat against the Wallaroos, a team they have beaten in all seven of their previous meetings.
The teams’ most recent encounter was the Red Roses’ 42-7 win in WXV in October 2023.
Australia, who drew 31-31 against the United States in their last game, would book their place in the last eight with a bonus point.
If they fail to do so, they will hope the 135-point difference between them and the USA is not wiped out by a combination of a handsome Eagles win over Samoa and a comprehensive England victory.
“We want to come out of the pool stages having built on previous two performance,” Mitchell told My Newspaper Radio 5 Live.
“We know this will be more of a challenge, Australia have improved and will go longest.
“The opportunity of us is that Australia will have to attack.”
England:Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Galligan, Ward, Talling, Kabeya, Matthews
Replacements: Atkin-Davies, Clifford, Bern, Ives Campion, Feaunati, L Packer, Aitchison, Rowland
A hat-trick of tries against Samoa last weekend took Breach’s tally for England up to 52, and she will pass another half-century milestone when she wins her 50th cap against Australia.
Having begun her career at nearby Pulborough RFC, the 27-year-old is assured a warm reception on the south coast.
“After the Six Nations, my dad did some calculations and said I could get my 50th at Brighton,” Breach told My Newspaper Radio 5 Live.
“I said ‘hold tight, we have got some training and selction to go before that!’
“It would have been really special to get my 50th during a World Cup at home, but for it be in Brighton is even crazier.”
Breach’s top-end speed and finishing ability have always been evident. She scored six tries on her debut against Canada in 2017, and followed that with another five on her second Test appearance.
However, having returned to fitness following a serious hip injury, she made only two appearances in England’s Women’s Six Nations campaign earlier this year, with Abby Dow and Moloney-MacDonald emerging as Mitchell’s preferred wings.
However, with Moloney-MacDonald suffering injury problems of her own in the build-up to the World Cup, Breach is now one of only two England players – along with centre Meg Jones – to start every pool game.
She is England’s top try-scorer at the tournament, having crossed five times already.
However, Mitchell has challenged Breach to prove that she is as consistent in defence as she is in attack.
“She is trying to get more balance and get better on both sides of the ball,” he said.
“Sometimes defensively she can get herself caught, but when she backs herself she is as good as anyone.
“The times she has struggled a little bit defensively is when she hasn’t backed herself.”
With Aldcroft unavailable, England could have tapped into deep reserves of specialist options in the back row to fill the gap.
Instead the versatile Talling has been asked to reprise a role she last filled for England during last year’s victory in WXV in Canada.
As well as overlooking Packer’s experience, Maddie Feaunati is kept as an impact option off the bench, rather than a starter.
Matthews, nominated as World Player of the Year twice in the past three years and a veteran of England’s 2014 World Cup win, has plenty of leadership experience.
“It is about backing your squad and knowing you have other players who can fill that position at any moment in time,” added Mitchell.
“It is going to be a squad effort throughout the tournament, you never finish with what you plan with, so it is really important to make sure everyone is climbing.
“Everyone has to be ready and on the same journey.”
England will be keen to have Aldcroft’s influence back for a probable quarter-final meeting with the losers of Canada and Scotland’s match earlier on Saturday.
Mitchell said his skipper is “doing really well” and is “back in rugby contact” during training.
