Zoe Harrison will anchor England’s back line against Ireland this weekend in a sign that head coach John Mitchell has opted for a changing of the guard at No 10.
Holly Aitchison was Mitchell’s first-choice fly-half last year but the Bristol Bears playmaker is yet to be deployed in the position in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, where she has operated at inside centre whether starting or as a replacement.
Mitchell has picked what looks to be his full-strength side for Saturday’s match in Cork, with Harrison retaining the No 10 jersey she wore in the comprehensive win over Wales and Aitchison on the bench.
Elsewhere, Alex Matthews will make her first appearance of this year’s championship. The No 8 is among the most dynamic and experienced operators in England’s pack but missed the first two rounds through suspension after being cited following last month’s Premiership Women’s Rugby final.
Wing Abby Dow – part of the all-conquering back-three unit alongside Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach that has become a cornerstone of the Red Roses’ attacking fluidity – will earn her 50th cap in Cork.
Analysis: A no-nonsense selection for crunch trip to Cork
Given this is the strongest-looking Ireland team in recent memory, this Red Roses selection was to be expected. Save for their 88-10 annihilation against England last year at Twickenham, Scott Bemand’s side have been on an upwards curve, memorably stunning world champions New Zealand at WXV last autumn. They also beat Italy in Parma last month in a much more convincing fashion than the Red Roses managed against the Azzurre in York, running out 54-12 winners.
John Mitchell has been unequivocal that he has “two sides operating as one”, such is the immense talent pool at his disposal. But on paper, this is a more orthodox, no-nonsense selection with the back line unchanged from the side’s 67-12 victory over Wales a fortnight ago.
Harrison will have another opportunity to press her case as England’s best fly-half and is nearing her top form after working her way back into the squad following an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023.
Yes, we got that @zoeharrison123 🤯@O2 | #WearTheRosepic.twitter.com/Ri5k5vpNbk
— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) April 9, 2025
Matthews, one of four surviving players of England’s 2014 Rugby World Cup-winning team in England’s Six Nations squad alongside Natasha Hunt, Emily Scarratt and Marlie Packer, will be chomping at the bit to make an impact after watching Maddie Feaunati stake her claim in the No 8 position with a couple of barnstorming performances.
Intriguingly, there is no room for two of Matthews’s 2014 comrades, Packer and Scarratt, in a telling reminder that the pair have slipped down the pecking order.
Ireland have made three changes to the team that beat Italy. Brittany Hogan comes into the back row with Edel McMahon injured while Dorothy Wall is recalled to the second row and Emily Lane starts at scrum-half. Wing Amee-Leigh Costigan will captain the side in McMahon’s absence.
Ireland team: Stacey Flood (Railway Union); Anna McGann (Railway Union), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere), Eve Higgins (Railway Union), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union, captain); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere), Emily Lane (Blackrock College); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere), Erin King (Old Belvedere), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College).
Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), Siobhan McCarthy (Railway Union), Christy Haney (Blackrock College), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere), Grace Moore (Ealing Trailfinders), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College), Nicole Fowley (Galwegians), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow).
England team: Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins); Abby Dow (Ealing Trailfinders), Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Jess Breach (Saracens); 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 (Gloucester-Hartpury, captain), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury).
Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Rosie Galligan (Saracens), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning).
Zoe Harrison will anchor England’s back line against Ireland this weekend in a sign that head coach John Mitchell has opted for a changing of the guard at No 10.
Holly Aitchison was Mitchell’s first-choice fly-half last year but the Bristol Bears playmaker is yet to be deployed in the position in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, where she has operated at inside centre whether starting or as a replacement.
Mitchell has picked what looks to be his full-strength side for Saturday’s match in Cork, with Harrison retaining the No 10 jersey she wore in the comprehensive win over Wales and Aitchison on the bench.
Elsewhere, Alex Matthews will make her first appearance of this year’s championship. The No 8 is among the most dynamic and experienced operators in England’s pack but missed the first two rounds through suspension after being cited following last month’s Premiership Women’s Rugby final.
Wing Abby Dow – part of the all-conquering back-three unit alongside Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach that has become a cornerstone of the Red Roses’ attacking fluidity – will earn her 50th cap in Cork.
Analysis: A no-nonsense selection for crunch trip to Cork
Given this is the strongest-looking Ireland team in recent memory, this Red Roses selection was to be expected. Save for their 88-10 annihilation against England last year at Twickenham, Scott Bemand’s side have been on an upwards curve, memorably stunning world champions New Zealand at WXV last autumn. They also beat Italy in Parma last month in a much more convincing fashion than the Red Roses managed against the Azzurre in York, running out 54-12 winners.
John Mitchell has been unequivocal that he has “two sides operating as one”, such is the immense talent pool at his disposal. But on paper, this is a more orthodox, no-nonsense selection with the back line unchanged from the side’s 67-12 victory over Wales a fortnight ago.
Harrison will have another opportunity to press her case as England’s best fly-half and is nearing her top form after working her way back into the squad following an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023.
Yes, we got that @zoeharrison123 🤯@O2 | #WearTheRosepic.twitter.com/Ri5k5vpNbk
— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) April 9, 2025
Matthews, one of four surviving players of England’s 2014 Rugby World Cup-winning team in England’s Six Nations squad alongside Natasha Hunt, Emily Scarratt and Marlie Packer, will be chomping at the bit to make an impact after watching Maddie Feaunati stake her claim in the No 8 position with a couple of barnstorming performances.
Intriguingly, there is no room for two of Matthews’s 2014 comrades, Packer and Scarratt, in a telling reminder that the pair have slipped down the pecking order.
Ireland have made three changes to the team that beat Italy. Brittany Hogan comes into the back row with Edel McMahon injured while Dorothy Wall is recalled to the second row and Emily Lane starts at scrum-half. Wing Amee-Leigh Costigan will captain the side in McMahon’s absence.
Ireland team: Stacey Flood (Railway Union); Anna McGann (Railway Union), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere), Eve Higgins (Railway Union), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union, captain); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere), Emily Lane (Blackrock College); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere), Erin King (Old Belvedere), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College).
Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), Siobhan McCarthy (Railway Union), Christy Haney (Blackrock College), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere), Grace Moore (Ealing Trailfinders), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College), Nicole Fowley (Galwegians), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow).
England team: Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins); Abby Dow (Ealing Trailfinders), Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Jess Breach (Saracens); 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 (Gloucester-Hartpury, captain), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury).
Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Rosie Galligan (Saracens), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning).
