| Date: Sunday 21 November Kick-off: 14:45 GMT Venue: Sixways Stadium, Worcester |
| Protection: Reside on BBC Two, BBC Sport web site and app |
England head coach Simon Middleton says there may be “large” competitors for squad locations as his much-changed aspect prepares to face the US.
The Crimson Roses are aiming to say their fourth and ultimate win of the autumn in Worcester on Sunday.
Middleton is taking the chance to check out a few of his “much less skilled” gamers as he builds a crew for the World Cup in 2022.
“We need to develop gamers this autumn,” he stated.
“We really feel that is one the place we will take a look at one or two of the much less skilled gamers. The competitors for locations is very large and we’re about creating power in depth.”
England’s abundance of expertise is such that solely two gamers – Zoe Aldcroft and Abby Dow – have began each recreation in an autumn that has thus far delivered wins towards five-time world champions New Zealand and Canada.
The Crimson Roses have now received 17 Checks in a row – a powerful milestone, however solely the aspect’s third-best streak, on condition that they earned 23 consecutive victories from 1992-97 and 20 from 2007-09.
It’s unsurprising, then, that Middleton says England have had “an unbelievable sequence thus far”.
Aldcroft leads dominant England for first time
The Crimson Roses are prone to attain 18 wins in a row on condition that they’ve solely misplaced as soon as to the US of their 19 conferences – that defeat coming within the World Cup ultimate 30 years in the past.
Conversely, the Eagles have misplaced all three of their autumn Checks, crushed twice by Canada and as soon as by Eire.
England’s dominance means they’ve a aspect with two of the 4 gamers on World Rugby’s Participant of the 12 months shortlist – Aldcroft and Poppy Cleall – with Middleton nominated for the Coach of the 12 months award.
Lock Aldcroft’s spectacular type has been rewarded as she captains England for the primary time on Sunday.
Common skipper Sarah Hunter is on the bench, with Harlequins’ Sarah Beckett returning at quantity eight after recovering from a knee damage.
Lydia Thompson is again on the wing for her fiftieth cap, whereas Helena Rowland and Holly Aitchison are the most recent 10-12 mixture.
Maud Muir makes her first Take a look at begin in an all-new entrance row, and Alex Matthews is at blind-side flanker, with Cleall – captain towards New Zealand – dropping out of the squad.
Gloucester-Hartpury hooker Connie Powell and Harlequins scrum-half Lucy Packer are set to make their worldwide debuts off the bench, the place Rowena Burnfield is poised to earn her fiftieth cap.
For the US, who’ve 154 caps of their beginning XV to England’s 399, Hallie Taufoou makes her first begin within the second row.
Captain Kate Zackary strikes to open-side flanker instead of the injured Rachel Johnson, whereas sevens Olympian Kayla Canett is on the left wing and Exeter’s Jennine Detiveaux is on the proper in her first Take a look at since November 2019.
‘We ran out of power in 2017. We can’t make that mistake’
Middleton says the autumn has given teaching employees “precisely what we wish when it comes to seeing gamers”.
After Sunday’s recreation, consideration will flip to managing the aspect’s power ranges in a World Cup build-up that can embrace a Girls’s Six Nations title defence.
In 2017, England beat New Zealand in a warm-up recreation earlier than dropping to the Black Ferns within the World Cup ultimate months later and Middleton doesn’t need historical past to repeat itself.
“Managing the power ranges should not be an issue,” he stated.
“We can’t make that mistake. I feel we ran out of power in 2017. I feel we might be all proper.”
Line-ups
England: Dow; Thompson, Aitchison, Tuima, Cowell; Rowland, Infante; Cornborough, Davies, Muir, Millar-Mills, Aldcroft (capt), Matthews, Kabeya, Beckett.
Replacements: Powell, Botterman, Bern, Burnfield, Hunter, Packer, Harrison, Kildunne.
United States: Hawkins; Detiveaux, Bonte, Howard, Canett; Foster, Waters; Rogers, Hamdan, Jacoby, Taufoou, Washington, Ehrecke, Zackary (capt), Sommer.
Replacements: Treder, Realized, James, Kronish, Cairns, Ortiz, Fa’avesi, Levy.
Referee: Julianne Zussman (Canada)