Rowland to Start as England Face Ireland in Six Nations Opener
England utility back Helena Rowland will start at inside centre in a significantly altered squad for their Women's Six Nations opener against Ireland at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Centre Tatyana Heard, 31, a regular under head coach John Mitchell who started in England's Rugby World Cup final victory over Canada in September, has been ruled out of the Six Nations due to a foot injury.
Rowland, who has represented England in every backline position except scrum-half, is among eight changes to the starting lineup that secured England's first World Cup title in 11 years at a sold-out Allianz Stadium with a capacity of 82,000.
More than 75,000 tickets have been sold for the match against Ireland, marking England's first game since becoming world champions.
The half-back pairing is new, with Lucy Packer and Holly Aitchison replacing Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison.
Loughborough Lightning lock Lilli Ives Campion takes the place of Bristol Bears lock Abbie Ward, who is among four England women players to have announced pregnancies.
Megan Jones will captain the team following Zoe Stratford's pregnancy announcement in March.
Retired England wing Abby Dow, a consistent selection under Mitchell, is replaced by Exeter Chiefs' Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, who was part of England's World Cup squad.
Star full-back Ellie Kildunne, who scored a try in the final against Canada, is named in the back three.
Props Kelsey Clifford and Sarah Bern will start in the front row, while dynamic flanker Maddie Feaunati is selected on the blind-side.
Bristol Bears prop Hannah Botterman, one of the Red Roses' standout performers at the World Cup, is not included in the squad.
Loughborough's 19-year-old forward Haineala Lutui may make her debut from the bench in the second row.
Mitchell's team, currently on a 33-game winning streak, aims for an eighth consecutive Six Nations title and a fifth straight Grand Slam.
England's starting XV: Kildunne; Breach, Jones (capt), Rowland, Moloney-MacDonald; Aitchison, L Packer; Clifford, Cokayne, Bern, Talling, Ives Campion, Feaunati, Kabeya, Matthews.
Replacements: Powell, Carson, Muir, Lutui, Burton, Hunt, Harrison, Sing.
The match kicks off on Saturday, 11 April, at 14:25 BST.
Coverage is available live on BBC One, , and online, with updates on BBC Radio 5 Live and , along with live text and video highlights on the website and app.
Rowland a Safe Pair of Hands - Analysis
Coach John Mitchell described Rowland as "the most valuable person" in his team before the World Cup due to her versatility across multiple positions.
Following Ellie Kildunne's concussion during the tournament, Rowland seamlessly filled the role of starting full-back for England's quarter-final victory over Scotland.
Despite her importance, Rowland has mainly been utilized as a bench player under Mitchell but is the clear choice to partner captain Megan Jones in the centre.
Rowland is familiar with England's system and brings experience with 46 international caps, making her a reliable presence to guide the Red Roses at inside centre.
Mitchell used 34 players throughout last year's tournament and frequently rotated his starting XV, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions from selections.
Natasha Hunt, 37, was the starting scrum-half at the World Cup, with Lucy Packer, 26, regarded as her natural successor.
Giving Packer a Test match in front of a large crowd could signal the beginning of a transition at scrum-half.
The inclusion of Lutui, daughter of former Tonga number eight Aleki Lutui, suggests a first look at the next generation who may play a significant role at the 2029 World Cup in Australia.
Mitchell has a keen eye for young talent and gave Feaunati playing time before the World Cup.
Lutui's potential debut in front of what is expected to be a record crowd for a Women's Six Nations game — surpassing the 58,498 who attended the 2023 Grand Slam decider — indicates Mitchell has identified another promising long-term Red Rose.
Rowland scored 27 points against Samoa to break the record for an individual player in a Women's World Cup game.
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