Bryony Field to make first England start in Canada rematch
Bryony Field will make her first start for England when the Red Roses face Canada at Sandy Park in Exeter on Saturday.
The WXV Global Series clash is a rematch of last year's World Cup final, which England won. Head coach John Mitchell has kept a familiar core for it, with 14 of his squad involved in that final-day 23 against the same opponents, according to BBC Sport.
Field, a hooker — the front-row forward who throws the ball into the lineout and packs down in the middle of the scrum — gets her chance in the number two shirt. The Huddersfield RFC product scored a try off the bench on debut in England's 48-15 win over Australia last time out. She now packs down alongside props Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir from the start.
Her opportunity has opened up because England are without three experienced hookers. Amy Cokayne is injured, Connie Powell is recovering from surgery and Lark Atkin-Davies is unavailable after recently becoming a mother.
Behind the front row, Lucy Packer starts at scrum-half, the link between forwards and backs who feeds the scrum and moves the ball away, with Zoe Harrison at fly-half, the playmaker who steers the attack. Jess Breach and Alex Matthews both return from injury to add experience to the side.
England's starting XV is Ellie Kildunne, Breach, Megan Jones, Helena Rowland, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, Harrison, Packer, Botterman, Field, Muir, Rosie Galligan? No — Lilli Ives Campion and Abbie Ward? The confirmed team is Kildunne, Breach, Jones, Rowland, Moloney-MacDonald, Harrison, Packer, Botterman, Field, Muir, Talling, Ives Campion, Burton, Kabeya, Matthews.
History favours the hosts. England, the Red Roses and the world's number one ranked women's team, have won 34 of their 38 meetings with Canada, including the last 14 in a row. Canada's last win in the fixture was a 52-17 victory in Salt Lake City in 2016.
What makes this stand out is the timing for Field. A first start, at home, against the team England beat to lift the World Cup, is a proper test of nerve and set-piece accuracy.
For fans, this means plenty more to follow quickly. The WXV Global Series runs from 13 to 26 September, with England due to face New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, 26 September. After that come Tests against Canada in Toronto and Ottawa in October, plus a meeting with the United States in New Jersey.
