Red Roses match-day 23 for Women’s Six Nations finale against Ireland

Mar 16 • General News, International • 1149 Views • Comments Off on Red Roses match-day 23 for Women’s Six Nations finale against Ireland

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England Women will field seven of the top 10 tournament points’ scorers in Friday’s final Six Nations game against Ireland at Donnybrook Stadium.

With England and Ireland unbeaten so far this campaign, the two sides are chasing the championship title in only the second head-to-head Grand Slam finale in the history of the women’s tournament.

Kick-off is at 8 pm and lives on Sky Sports Mix, EnglandRugby.com and England Rugby Facebook.

Following a record-breaking seven tries in England’s 64-0 win over Scotland last weekend, Kay Wilson will start the match as the tournament’s top points’ scorer with 40 points.

Bristol wing Amy Wilson-Hardy is the only change to the starting 15, with Laura Keates hoping to gain her 60th England cap off the bench in place of Sarah Bern. Lydia Thompson, who scored a hat-trick in England’s 0-63 win over Wales, moves to the bench.

Head coach Simon Middleton said: “We have put ourselves in a position to realise our Six Nations ambitions of winning the championship but we’re under no illusions of how difficult the task will be.

“Ireland have had a great competition so far, showing immense resilience to win four tough games. It promises to be a fantastic end to the tournament and we are confident that come Friday we will be as ready as we can to win our first Grand Slam in five years.”

The Red Roses are playing for their first Six Nations title since 2012, with Ireland having won the championship twice in the past four years. The two sides have met four times since the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup, with England winning the last three matches since Ireland’s 11-8 victory at Ashbourne in the 2015 Women’s Six Nations.

England match-day 23 against Ireland

15 Danielle Waterman (Bristol, 67 caps)
14 Amy Wilson-Hardy (Bristol, 6 caps)
13 Emily Scarratt (Lichfield, 65 caps)
12 Amber Reed (Bristol, 36 caps)
11 Kay Wilson (Richmond, 41 caps)
10 Emily Scott (Saracens, 20 caps)
9 La Toya Mason (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, 63 caps)

1 Rochelle Clark (Worcester Valkyries, 121 caps)
2 Amy Cokayne (Lichfield, 24 caps)
3 Justine Lucas (Lichfield, 18 caps)
4 Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, 102 caps)
5 Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield, 42 caps)
6 Alex Matthews (Richmond, 28 caps)
7 Marlie Packer (Bristol, 44 caps)
8 Sarah Hunter (Bristol, 89 caps) (c)

16 Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens, 58 caps)
17 Vickii Cornborough (Aylesford Bulls, 22 caps)
18 Laura Keates (Worcester Valkyries, 59 caps)
19 Poppy Cleall (Bristol, 11 caps)
20 Izzy Noel-Smith (Bristol, 28 caps)
21 Bianca Blackburn (Worcester Valkyries, 17 caps)
22 Rachael Burford (Aylesford Bulls, 64 caps)
23 Lydia Thompson (Worcester Valkyries, 30 caps)

England Women Six Nations fixtures

England 26 – 13 France
Saturday 4 February, Twickenham Stadium

Wales 0 – 63 England
Saturday 11 February, Cardiff Arms Park

England 29 – 15 Italy
Saturday 25 February, Twickenham Stoop

England 64 – 0 Scotland
Saturday 11 March, Twickenham Stoop

Ireland v England
Friday 17 March, KO 8 pm, live on Sky Sports Mix and EnglandRugby.com
Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin

TOP WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS POINTS SCORERS 2017
Name	Team	Apps	Mins	Try	Conv	PG	DG	PTS
Kay Wilson	England Women	2	160	8	0	0	0	40
Emily Scarratt	England Women	4	282	1	10	4	0	37
Amy Cokayne	England Women	3+1	215	4	0	0	0	20
Caroline Ladagnous	France Women	4	320	4	0	0	0	20
Danielle Waterman	England Women	3	187	4	0	0	0	20
Amy Wilson-Hardy	England Women	3	240	4	0	0	0	20
Nora Stapleton	Ireland Women	4	320	0	5	3	0	19
Vicky Fleetwood	England Women	1+3	131	3	0	0	0	15
Lydia Thompson	England Women	3	238	3	0	0	0	15
Camille Cabalou	France Women	1+2	102	1	3	0	0	11