England utility back Helena Rowland will start at inside centre in a much-changed team for their Women’s Six Nations opener against Ireland at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Centre Tatyana Heard, 31, has been a regular under head coach John Mitchell and started the Rugby World Cup final win over Canada in September, but was ruled out of the Six Nations with a foot injury.
Rowland, who has played for her country in every backline position other than scrum-half, is one of eight changes to the starting team that won England’s first World Cup in 11 years at a sold-out 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium.
More than 75,000 tickets have been sold for the game against Ireland, England’s first since becoming world champions.
It is a fresh half-back pairing with Lucy Packer and Holly Aitchison coming in for Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison.
Loughborough Lightning lock Lilli Ives Campion replaces Bristol Bears lock Abbie Ward – one of four England women’s players to announce they are pregnant.
Megan Jones will captain the side after Zoe Stratford announced her pregnancy in March.
Retired England wing Abby Dow, a mainstay under Mitchell, is replaced by Exeter Chiefs Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, who was part of England’s World Cup squad.
Star full-back Ellie Kildunne – a try-scorer in the final win over Canada – is named in the back three.
Props Kelsey Clifford and Sarah Bern are named to start in the front row, while explosive flanker Maddie Feaunati starts on the blind-side.
There is no place for Bristol Bears prop Hannah Botterman – one of the Red Roses’ top performers at the World Cup.
The 26-year-old is a doubt for the rest of the tournament with an ankle injury that has required a scan – the same ankle she had surgery on after the World Cup.
Loughborough’s 19-year-old forward Haineala Lutui could make her debut from the bench in the second row.
Mitchell’s side, who are on a 33-game winning run, are chasing an eighth straight Six Nations title and fifth consecutive Grand Slam.
