Shekells handed first start as England change nine
Guinness Women's Six Nations: England v ScotlandVenue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium Date: Saturday, 19 April Kick-off: 16:45 BSTCoverage: Watch live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and online, listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, live text and video highlights on the BBC Sport website and app
Centre Jade Shekells will earn her first start for England as one of nine changes made by John Mitchell for Saturday's Women's Six Nations match against Scotland in Leicester.Gloucester-Hartpury's Shekells, 28, was part of the GB Sevens squad at last year's Olympics in Paris and made her Red Roses debut off the bench against Italy in round one.Former England captain Marlie Packer, who is one try away from 50 for her country, also has not featured since the opening-round win over Italy in York and returns to start at open-side flanker.Zoe Aldcroft replaced Packer as England captain in January and remains the only Red Roses player to start every game this championship after being named at blind-side flanker.Maddie Feaunati was a standout performer in the opening two rounds before the return of Alex Matthews in the comfortable win over Ireland last Saturday, but the 22-year-old Exeter Chief is back to start at number eight.Lock Rosie Galligan replaces Morwenna Talling to partner Abbie Ward in the second row, while props Sarah Bern and Kelsey Clifford are rewarded with starts following their tries off the bench in Cork.Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir drop to the replacements, and with Amy Cockayne going for a scan on her pectoral muscle, Saracens hooker May Campbell is named on the bench to possibly make her third England appearance.Scotland come into the fixture off the back of a disappointing 25-17 home defeat by Italy, meaning their only victory this championship was a narrow win over Wales in round one.Following three bonus-point wins, victory for England in Leicester on Saturday, with defeat for second-placed France in Italy, would guarantee their seventh Six Nations title in a row, before a home Rugby World Cup which starts in August.
Line-up
England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Shekells, MacDonald; Aitchison, L Packer; Clifford, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Galligan, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), M Packer, Feaunati.Replacements: Campbell, Botterman, Muir, Talling, Matthews, Hunt, Rowland, Scarratt.
Mitchell has opted to change his half-backs as Lucy Packer and Holly Aitchison come in for Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison.Saracens' Harrison has impressed in victories over Wales and Ireland to put pressure on Bristol Bears' Aitchison, who makes her first start at fly-half this Six Nations after being Mitchell's main starting 10 in last year's Grand Slam-winning side.Harlequins' Packer is the joint-highest try assist holder in this year's tournament alongside Harrison with four, and is too pushing for a regular starting spot.Full-back Ellie Kildunne and centre Megan Jones also featured with Shekells at the Paris Olympics and are retained from Cork.After missing last year's Six Nations with a neck injury, Exeter Chiefs wing Claudia MacDonald scored on her Red Roses return against Italy and replaces Jessica Breach to make her second start this campaign, with Abby Dow named on the opposite wing.Leicester native Emily Scarratt, who has 117 caps, is named on the bench after not featuring since the opening round in York.The 35-year-old was part of England's last World Cup win in 2014 and has featured in 52 Six Nations matches, losing just two.Scarratt celebrated her 100th cap in her home town with 10 points from the tee in England's last game in Leicester - a 69-0 hammering of Ireland in 2022."When you have those opportunities to come home, they don't come around very often, especially when you don't live in London where so many of my games have been," Scarratt told BBC Sport."It is a special occasion and there are not too many more opportunities to do that."The crowd is close to the pitch and we know what a crowd in Leicester is like. Hopefully that is in full voice and right behind us."England are on a 23-game winning streak and are chasing a fourth successive Grand Slam, with wins for Mitchell's side and undefeated France on Saturday setting up a Grand Slam decider at Allianz Stadium on 26 April.
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