Preview: Red Roses vs Scotland
Everything you need to know ahead of the Red Roses' TikTok Women's Six Nations opener against Scotland at Kingston Park.
Simon Middleton has named his Red Roses side to play Scotland in their TikTok Six Nations opener at Kingston Park this weekend.
| When? | Saturday 25 March |
| Where? | Kingston Park, Newcastle |
| Kick off? | 16:45 |
Sarah Hunter will co-captain the side on the occasion of her final game in a Red Roses shirt after announcing her retirement from rugby following the game in her hometown of Newcastle.
Fellow co-captain Marlie Packer starts at openside flanker, while Sadia Kabeya packs down on the blind side.
Mackenzie Carson will make her England debut as she starts in the front row alongside Amy Cokayne and Sarah Bern, meanwhile Zoe Aldcroft and Poppy Cleall are the lock pairing.
In the backs, Lucy Packer and Holly Aitchison are the halfback pairing, while Amber Reed and Lagi Tuima start in the centres.
A starting back three brimming with pace features Claudia MacDonald, Jess Breach and Abby Dow.
Wasps' Liz Crake and Saracens' Kelsey Clifford could make their England debuts from the bench as they are both named in the replacement front row alongside Lark Davies. Cath O'Donnell and Sarah Beckett are also named on the bench.
Ella Wyrwas is another name who could make her debut. She is named in the back replacements alongside Tatyana Heard and Emma Sing.
TEAMS
Red Roses
15. Abby Dow, 14. Jessica Breach, 13. Lagi Tuima, 12. Amber Reed, 11. Claudia MacDonald, 10. Holly Aitchison, 9. Lucy Packer, 1. Mackenzie Carson, 2. Amy Cokayne, 3. Sarah Bern, 4. Zoe Aldcroft, 5. Poppy Cleall, 6. Sadia Kabeya, 7. Marlie Packer (CC), 8. Sarah Hunter (CC)
Replacements
16. Lark Davies, 17. Liz Crake, 18. Kelsey Clifford, 19. Catherine O'Donnell, 20. Sarah Beckett, 21. Ella Wyrwas, 22. Tatyana Heard, 23. Emma Sing
Scotland
15. Chloe Rollie, 14. Coreen Grant, 13. Emma Orr, 12. Meryl Smith, 11. Francesca McGhie, 10. Helen Nelson (VC), 9. Caity Mattinson, 1. Leah Bartlett, 2. Lana Skeldon, 3. Christine Belisle, 4. Lyndsay O'Donnell, 5. Louise McMillan, Rachel Malcolm (C), 7. Rachel McLachlan, 8. Evie Gallagher
Replacements
16. Jodie Rettie, 17. Anne Young, 18. Elliann Clarke, 19. Eva Donaldson, 20. Eilidh Sinclair, 21. Mairi McDonald, 22. Beth Blacklock, 23. Liz Musgrove.
VIEWS FROM CAMP
Simon Middleton: “I’m excited, there is such a different dynamic about the squad as we have so many new faces and it’s been different in training the last three weeks. There has been a real buzz around the place and in some ways it has been like starting from scratch again as we have things we wanted to develop within the squad as we came out of the World Cup. When you bring in so many new players, you just have to take things back a little bit. The seniors have become very patient whilst we work with some of the younger players to get them up to speed.
"We have had a really good week, the training has been outstanding so we are going to be as ready as we can be come Saturday.”
Sarah Hunter: “It will be a really special game for me. I try and think about the rugby side of things, but also try and let every last bit of it soak in.
"The focus has to be on the game and not me. This team is at the start of this really important campaign and it’s a significant part of a new cycle for this journey coming of the back of the World Cup.
Zoe Aldcroft: "There are lots of fresh faces in camp, they’ve really helped to raise the energy and push on as a team. It’s a really positive thing to see. Coming into camp I was nervous, but it’s been so positive. The buy-in from all the girls has been excellent, and there have obviously been a lot of new learnings for everybody, so we’re all building and learning together. It’s great to be back in camp full of energy."
STATS
The Red Roses have won all 21 of their previous matches against Scotland in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations by an average margin of 46 points.
England have won each of their last 19 games in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations, the joint-longest run of any side in the history of the Championship, alongside the 19 consecutive games they won between 2005 and 2009 and between 2009 and 2013.
Only six players scored 3+ tries in last year’s TikTok Women’s Six Nations, five were Red Roses players: Poppy Cleall (3), Marlie Packer (4), Sarah Bern (5), Lydia Thompson (5) and Lark Davies (5).
England registered more possession (60%) and territory (58%) than any other side in last year’s TikTok Women’s Six Nations, while Scotland averaged the second most possession (53%)
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
2022: Scotland 5-57 Red Roses
2021: Red Roses 52-10 Scotland
2020: Scotland 0-53 Red Roses
2019: Red Roses 80-0 Scotland
2018: Scotland 8-43 Red Roses
Related topics
- Attack
- T - Tries
- M - Metres carried
- C - Carries
- DB - Defenders beaten
- CB - Clean breaks
- P - Passes
- O - Offloads
- TC - Turnovers conceded
- TA - Try assists
- PTS - Points
- Defence
- Tackles - Tackles
- MT - Missed tackles
- TW - Turnovers won
- Kicking
- K - Kicks in play
- C - Conversions
- PG - Penalty goals
- DG - Drop goals
- Set plays
- TW - Throws won
- LW - Lineouts won
- LS - Lineout steals
- Discipline
- PC - Penalties conceded
- RC - Red cards
- YC - Yellow cards
Red Roses open Six Nations with win over Scotland
Marlie Packer’s hat-trick helped England on their way to a 58-7 win over Scotland in their 2023 Women’s Six Nations opener.
All three of the flanker’s tries came within nine second half minutes and the Red Roses crossed 10 times in all at Kingston Park, with Claudia MacDonald and Amy Cokayne each scoring doubles.
Tatyana Heard, Poppy Cleall and Sadia Kabeya also went over to ensure the last match of Sarah Hunter’s illustrious career ended in victory.
England are next in action on April 2 when Italy visit Franklin’s Gardens in Round 2.
Hunter led the side out on her 141st and final appearance and it took less than nine minutes for England to cross for their first points of the Championship as MacDonald finished off a neat pass inside from Amber Reed, who then converted the score.
Scotland responded positively to going behind and were close to a try of their own when Emma Orr dived for the line but was inches short, with Zoe Aldcroft in close attendance to hold up her momentum.
The hosts were more clinical at the other end and after Packer had been tackled a couple of metres out, the ball was worked swiftly through the hands for Cokayne to go over in the corner.
MacDonald then doubled her personal tally with a stunning solo effort from inside her own half and the bonus point was secured when Heard, on as an early replacement for Reed, dotted down on 27 minutes.
England’s traditionally strong rolling maul was responsible for the fifth try, Cokayne applying the finishing touch, as the Red Roses took a 31-0 lead into the break following a first half which saw them make 490 metres from 108 carries, with 36 defenders beaten.
The second period began as the first had ended, with England on the front foot, and Cleall quickly made the pressure count by powering over.
Kabeya added try number seven on 49 minutes following an incisive break by Abby Dow and the power of England’s pack carried Packer over for her first.
The hour mark saw the 10,053 spectators inside Kingston Park rise to give Hunter a standing ovation as she departed the scene shortly after two players at the opposite ends of their Red Roses journey, Liz Crake and Kelsey Clifford, had been brought on for their debuts.
There was no let-up in the home side’s intensity and Packer completed her treble with two quickfire tries from driving mauls.
Chloe Rollie’s late score got Scotland on the scoreboard and she came close to adding another after a fine individual run but good work at the breakdown earned England a penalty as Simon Middleton’s side closed out a convincing win.
Teams
England
15. Abby Dow, 14. Jessica Breach, 13. Lagi Tuima, 12. Amber Reed, 11. Claudia MacDonald, 10. Holly Aitchison, 9. Lucy Packer, 1. Mackenzie Carson, 2. Amy Cokayne, 3. Sarah Bern, 4. Zoe Aldcroft, 5. Poppy Cleall, 6. Sadia Kabeya, 7. Marlie Packer (CC), 8. Sarah Hunter (CC)
Replacements
16. Lark Davies, 17. Liz Crake, 18. Kelsey Clifford, 19. Catherine O'Donnell, 20. Sarah Beckett, 21. Ella Wyrwas, 22. Tatyana Heard, 23. Emma Sing
Scotland
15. Chloe Rollie, 14. Coreen Grant, 13. Emma Orr, 12. Meryl Smith, 11. Francesca McGhie, 10. Helen Nelson (VC), 9. Caity Mattinson; 1. Leah Bartlett, 2. Lana Skeldon, 3. Christine Belisle, 4. Lyndsay O’Donnell, 5. Louise McMillan, 6. Rachel Malcolm (C), 7. Rachel McLachlan, 8. Evie Gallagher
Replacements
16. Jodie Rettie, 17. Anne Young, 18. Elliann Clarke, 19. Eva Donaldson, 20. Eilidh Sinclair, 21. Mairi McDonald, 22. Beth Blacklock, 23. Liz Musgrove
