Zoe Aldcroft will return to captain England for his or her Girls’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final in opposition to Scotland on Sunday after lacking the ultimate two group video games via damage.
Aldcroft sustained a knee niggle within the 69-7 win over USA within the match opener on August 22 and subsequently sat out the 92-3 rout of Samoa in week two and final Saturday’s 47-7 victory over Australia that clinched prime spot in Pool A.
Nevertheless, the 28-year-old is again at blindside flanker for the hosts and title favourites in one among 4 modifications made by head coach John Mitchell for the fixture at Bristol’s Ashton Gate (4pm kick-off).
Helena Rowland is at full-back instead of Ellie Kildunne, who was pressured off with a head damage within the second half in opposition to Australia and should now abide by concussion protocols.
Holly Aitchison makes her first begin of the match at fly-half with Zoe Harrison transferring to the bench, whereas Kelsey Clifford is rewarded for a brace of tries as a alternative final weekend with a begin at loosehead prop as an alternative of Hannah Botterman.
Botterman left the sphere after 25 minutes in opposition to the Wallarroos resulting from a muscle spasm in her again.
Aldcroft’s return at No 6 means Morwenna Talling switches to the second row and Abbie Ward shifts to the replacements.
Jess Breach (proper) is the joint main strive scorer on this World Cup with six
Dominant Pink Roses on brink of extra historical past
The Pink Roses are on a 30-match successful streak and can break their very own report for successive victories within the worldwide sport in the event that they see off Scotland and attain the semi-finals.
England have received 25 matches in a row in opposition to Scotland since dropping to them within the 1999 Girls’s European Championship, whereas their total report in opposition to their opponents is 32 victories in 34 video games.
The newest assembly got here within the 2025 Six Nations when the Pink Roses secured a 59-7 victory in Leicester – Abby Dow and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald scoring two tries every.
Scotland have made the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the primary time since 2002 after ending second in Pool B following wins over Wales and Fiji and defeat to Canada.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
England head coach John Mitchell has lauded the influence of the Girls’s Rugby World Cup on residence soil
Mitchell: England prepared for thrilling problem
England coach Mitchell stated: “The first stage of the tournament is behind us, and now we enter a new stage of the competition that has an end point.
“We’re adapting effectively to totally different conditions, and whereas we recognise Scotland have improved, we are going to nonetheless imagine we will construct strain on them. That is an thrilling problem that we’re prepared for.
“We trust our girls to be consistent, take ownership of their roles, embrace the occasion, and earn the right to another week in this competition.
“The passion surrounding the match has been unbelievable, with help rising throughout the nation. We all know Bristol will probably be no totally different, and the ladies are relishing the chance to rise to the event.”
Pink Roses squad to face Scotland
Beginning XV: 15 Helena Rowland, 14 Abby Dow, 13 Megan Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Jess Breach, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Natasha Hunt; 1 Kelsey Clifford, 2 Amy Cokayne, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Morwenna Talling, 5 Rosie Galligan, 6 Zoe Aldcroft (captain), 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Alex Matthews.
Replacements: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies, 17 Mackenzie Carson, 18 Sarah Bern, 19 Abbie Ward, 20 Maddie Feaunati, 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Zoe Harrison, 23 Emma Sing.
England’s World Cup outcomes to this point
Scotland’s World Cup outcomes to this point
Girls’s World Cup – remaining fixtures
Quarter-finals
- September 13: New Zealand vs South Africa (Exeter) – 1pm
- September 13: Canada vs Australia (Bristol) – 4pm
- September 14: France vs Eire (Exeter) – 1pm
- September 14: England vs Scotland (Bristol) – 4pm
Semi-finals
- September 19: New Zealand/South Africa vs Canada/Australia (Bristol) – 7pm
- September 20: France/Eire vs England/Scotland (Bristol) – 3.30pm
Bronze last
- September 27: TBC vs TBC (Twickenham) – 12.30pm
Ultimate
- September 27: TBC vs TBC (Twickenham) – 4pm
