Latest news with #Shekells
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 Ellie Kildunne and centre Megan Jones also featured with Shekells at the Paris Olympics and are retained from 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 native Emily Scarratt, who has 117 caps, is named on the bench after not featuring since the opening round in 35-year-old was part of England's last World Cup win in 2014 and has featured in 52 Six Nations matches, losing just 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.
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Shekells on England bench for Six Nations opener
Women's Six Nations: England v ItalyVenue: LNER Community Stadium, York Date: Sunday, 23 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC Two, iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app; listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra GB Sevens player Jade Shekells could make her XV-a-side international debut on Sunday after being named on the bench for England's Women's Six Nations opener against Italy in Shekells, 28, is joined among the replacements by another of the four uncapped players in John Mitchell's 37-woman squad - Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Flo Robinson, was part of the GB squad at last year's Olympics in Paris and, if brought on, is set to appear in the Venner, fresh from helping Gloucester-Hartpury win a third successive Premiership Women's Rugby title last weekend, wins her second cap on the wing and, like Loughborough Lightning lock Lilli Ives Campion, will be making her first international Rowland, who has frequently operated in the centres in her recent appearances for England, will begin at Aldcroft captains the side and starts in the back row alongside Marlie Packer, who she replaced as skipper in January. England team to face Italy: Sing; Venner, Scarratt, Aitchison, MacDonald; Rowland, L Packer; Clifford, Cokayne, Muir, Galligan, Ives Campion, Aldcroft (capt), M Packer, Campbell, Botterman, Bern, Ward, Kabeya, Robinson, Shekells, Kildunne. While winning a seventh consecutive Women's Six Nations title is high on England's agenda, the competition will also give opportunities for players to stake their claims for spots in Mitchell's squad at a home Rugby World Cup starting in Claudia MacDonald, who has recovered from a second serious neck injury during the past 12 months, will start on the wing for her first England appearance since the WXV tournament in Sing of Gloucester-Hartpury, the PWR's leading points-scorer in 2024-25, will start at full-back, with World Rugby's Women's Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne named on the will start as strong favourites against Italy, who finished fifth in the 2024 tournament, winning one of their five year's Six Nations meeting between the two nations ended in a 48-0 victory for England in Parma, despite the Red Roses having Sarah Beckett sent off in the first half.
