Ellie Kildunne, England’s star full-back, has been dropped to the bench as the Red Roses shake up their selection following a first defeat in four years. Head coach John Mitchell has made four changes to the starting XV for Saturday’s rematch against Canada in Ottawa.
Ellie Kildunne (Credits: BBC Sport)
A Stunning Defeat Ends a 41-Match Streak
England’s unbeaten run — one of the most dominant stretches in rugby history — came to a dramatic end last Friday in Toronto, where a late Canada fightback sealed a 24-21 win. The defeat snapped a 41-match winning streak that had carried the Red Roses through four successive Six Nations Grand Slams and last year’s landmark World Cup title on home soil.
Mitchell didn’t sugarcoat his side’s performance, accusing his players of losing the hunger that powered their historic run. “Last Friday, we lost sight of what we could control when it mattered most. That’s on us to fix,” he said, adding that this week is about getting back to being “hungry, accountable to each other and demanding more of ourselves than anyone outside this group ever could.”
Kildunne Benched Despite Heroics
The boldest call is the demotion of Kildunne, who was statistically England’s best performer even in defeat — making more metres (149), more clean breaks (two), and beating more defenders (six) than any teammate against Canada. Emma Sing comes in at full-back in her place.
Sing is no stranger to the shirt: the rangy runner, who can also kick goals, started two matches at full-back during England’s Six Nations campaign, with Kildunne shifting to the wing on both occasions. Tatyana Heard and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald — backline starters in the defeat — drop out of the matchday squad entirely, with Helena Rowland and Mia Venner taking their places at inside centre and wing. Moloney-MacDonald paid the price for spilling the ball over the line in the sixth minute after superbly picking up Jess Breach’s pass off her toes.
Kabeya Rewarded, Matthews Benched
The fourth change sees Sadia Kabeya, who impressed off the bench on her comeback from a leg injury, start ahead of two-time Rugby World Cup winner Alex Matthews, who drops to the replacements. Exeter’s Flo Robinson and Sale’s Hollie Aitchison provide a new-look set of half-back replacements on the bench.
Venner, Sing’s Gloucester-Hartpury team-mate, gets her chance on the wing after finishing as the PWR’s joint top try-scorer last season with 12 tries. England’s message is clear: no one is undroppable, and the rematch in Ottawa at 00:00 BST on Saturday is a statement game.
Also Read: England’s World Cup Suffers ‘Devastating Blow’ as Jasmin Strange Ruled Out With Knee Injury
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.