Emma Sing faces biggest game of career in Grand Slam decider

Telegraph

24-04-2025

John Mitchell has backed Emma Sing to showcase her 'world-class' qualities against France after star full-back Ellie Kildunne was ruled out of England's Women's Six Nations Grand-Slam decider.
Sing, who will start for only the third time in a Red Roses shirt, faces the biggest test of her fledgling international career at Allianz Stadium on Saturday because reigning World Player of the Year Kildunne is sidelined for the winner-takes-all encounter with a hamstring injury.
Kildunne's injury is not deemed to be serious and Mitchell, the England women's national team head coach, indicated his decision to leave her out of the marquee fixture was more precautionary in World Cup year.
The Harlequin has had a game-heavy 12 months, having represented the Great Britain sevens team at last year's Paris Olympics, played the entirety of last year's WXV tournament and featured in all four matches of England's Six Nations campaign.
Sing, 24, has long been a secondary choice to Kildunne, whose eye-catching exploits in England's back line in recent months have elevated her to poster-girl status. Now Sing, who played a key role in Gloucester-Hartpury's Premiership Women's Rugby three-peat, has a golden chance to prove herself and capitalise on an inopportune injury scenario that could strike again later this year.
'Emma's a world-class full-back and it's given us another chance to deal with a situation that might occur further down the track so we're more than confident to make that decision,' said Mitchell.
Reshuffled back and Feaunati power play
Mitchell has reshuffled his back row for Saturday's crunch clash, which will be the last time England play at Twickenham before potentially contesting World Cup final on September 27. More than 35,000 tickets have been sold for the match, which will mark the fourth time the Red Roses have played a standalone match at the national stadium.
In a not-so-subtle sign that England will look to destroy France with their power game and target them at the set-piece, Maddie Feaunati has been given the nod over Sadia Kabeya – crowned Player of the Match in this fixture two years ago – at openside flanker, with no place for former captain Marlie Packer in the match-day squad either.
France, as they have done all tournament, have opted for a 6-2 split on the bench and field a pack in which openside flanker Lea Champon earns her first start of the championship.
While she played openside a handful of times for Exeter Chiefs last season, Feaunati has only ever been deployed as blindside or No 8 in her 14 Test caps under Mitchell. 'The team mix is a tactical mix, said Mitchell. 'When England play France your first principal is the set-piece. There's no need to hide that. That's the first place we'll be going after them.'
The Red Roses are on a 14-match winning streak against France, who have perennially been their closest competitors in the Six Nations. England have averaged a greater winning margin (24 points) than Les Bleues across the championship but Mitchell is nevertheless expecting a stern test.
'This opportunity on the weekend is like playing knockout football in a World Cup,' he said. 'This is the stage you want to get to. These girls have worked hard to have this opportunity and it just happens to be our home tournament that's really important to us where we have set a standard. When you set a standard, people want to chase you.
'We're continually searching for that complete performance. I guess that's the fun part of the game and the challenge for the girls. The game is never finite and it's always giving you feedback that you can get better.'
However, Mitchell also warned against the temptation to treat the occasion as a dress rehearsal for a World Cup final. 'We've got to be careful [about] focusing on a World Cup final because we've got to earn the right to contest it,' Mitchell said. 'So it's nice to get another chance to be back at Allianz Stadium. That's the way we see it, it's an isolated situation and we've presented ourselves an opportunity to complete a goal.
'Without a doubt this is the biggest test we've had in this Six Nations,' he added. 'They've been a consistent side, have been using their group quite well and look like they have an identity that's really clear. It's a bit different from last year. We're excited by what they'll present.'
England v France, Saturday, 4.45pm, Allianz Stadium
England: Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury); Abby Dow (Ealing Trailfinders), Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs); Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury); Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears), Zoe Aldcroft (captain, Gloucester-Hartpury), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury).
Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Rosie Galligan (Saracens), Abi Burton (Ealing Trailfinders), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning).
France: Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais); Joanna Grisez (Stade Bordelais), Marine Ménager (Montpellier), Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac), Kelly Arbey (Toulouse); Carla Arbez (Stade Bordelais), Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (Toulouse); Yllana Brosseau (Stade Bordelais), Manon Bigot (Blagnac), Assi Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), Manaé Feleu (captain, Grenoble), Madoussou Fall-Raclot (Stade Bordelais), Charlotte Escudero (Toulouse), Léa Champon (Grenoble), Teani Feleu.