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One change for six-in-a-row title-chasing England heading to France

England's Ellie Kildunne, Megan Jones and skipper Marlie Packer last weekend versus Ireland (Photo by Alex Davidson/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

John Mitchell has made one change to his starting line-up for this Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam decider away to France in Bordeaux.

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The English, who are chasing a sixth successive championship title but a first with their Kiwi coach in charge, turned on the style last Saturday to blitz Ireland 88-10 in front of a near-50,000 attendance at Twickenham.

That runaway success came at an injury cost, however. Hooker Lark Atkin-Davies limped off before the interval with an ankle problem and her place in the front row will be taken in France by Amy Cokayne, who is available again following the one-match ban picked for her April 13 red card in Scotland.

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    Morwenna Talling, who wore the No19 jersey as a starter versus the Irish, will run out in Bordeaux with the No5 on her back. The second row was a last-gasp call-up to start in round four when Rosie Galligan broke her thumb in the warm-up just minutes before the 2:15pm kick-off.

    Lizzie Hanlon was the player called onto the bench in the emergency to take the spot vacated by the suddenly promoted Talling. However, that back-up role against the French has now gone to Abbie Ward, a third-round starter in Edinburgh against the Scots.

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    Head coach Mitchell said in an RFU team media release: “Our focus has remained on our process and how we best prepare for the next opposition. We now have an exciting challenge against France in France which we’re all looking forward to.”

    France, meanwhile, have made four changes to their starting XV following their 40-0 dismissal of Wales in Cardiff last Sunday.

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    England (vs France Saturday)
    15. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 42 caps)
    14. Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women, 44 caps)
    13. Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers, 20 caps)
    12. Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 21 caps)
    11. Jess Breach (Saracens, 37 caps)
    10. Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 29 caps)
    9. Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 71 caps)
    1. Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 46 caps)
    2. Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 73 caps)
    3. Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 29 caps)
    4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 52 caps)
    5. Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 12 caps)
    6. Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 17 caps)
    7. Marlie Packer (Saracens, 103 caps) – captain
    8. Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 66 caps)

    Replacements
    16. Connie Powell (Harlequins, 18 caps)
    17. Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 14 caps)
    18. Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 7 caps)
    19. Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 64 caps)
    20. Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps)
    21. Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 20 caps)
    22. Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 110 caps)
    23. Sydney Gregson (Saracens, 6 caps)

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    RedWarriors 1 hour ago
    Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

    Irish media accurately covered the Taoiseach’s visits to the EU president to reach agreement on ‘not returning to the borders of the past’. The Brexidiots had not even considered this nor had they considered any part of what Brexit might look at.

    Morons like Nigel Farage were screaming ‘Traitors’ demanding that article 50 would be triggered. Once it was triggered a two year count down was started to a point where the UK could have been thrown into the World Market only under WTO rules. All the EU had to do was wait and Brexit would eat up its opposition.


    Brexidiots talked tough and lied that the EU had more than the UK to lose. But it was all shallow lies ofcourse. All the EU had to do was wait, the UK had put the gun to its own head which would go off at a certain known point in time. The EU had won the negotiation before it had even started.

    So we had extensions, more UK tough talking, capitulations, changes of Government and PMs everything you’d expect from a disfunctional state. Farage and Tice who claimed before the vote that ‘No-one is talking about leaving the Customs Union or Single market’ were now screaming about traitors unless the hardest Brexit was not enforced. May, Johnson, Davis, Rabb, Frost etc etc all devoured not by traitorous insiders but by the ridiculousness of their own project.


    That is why all Ireland had to do was add the border as a pre requisite. Even Unionists concurred that the EU put a lot more effort into fixing the issues on the ground than the UK. Proving once again how completely unfit you are to Govern. The man who thinks Ireland are the ‘parasites of the world’ gives his opinion on Ireland? Do F**k off f@sc1st Tommie!


    But men like Farage and those he represents cashed in big: the grifter made a killing for his cronies before the voting had even stopped at the expense of ordinary people.

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