Red Roses unchanged for World Cup opener

RUGBY UNION

- by REBECCA JOHNSON

ENGLAND have named an unchanged side from their final warm-up game for their Women's Rugby World Cup opener against the United States in Sunderland tomorrow.

Red Roses boss John Mitchell has kept faith with the same starting 15 from the 40-6 victory over France, their second of two warm-up fixtures which took place earlier this month.

Skipper Zoe Aldcroft leads the squad at blindside flanker, with number eight Alex Matthews and openside Sadia Kabeya alongside her in the back row and Abbie Ward and Morwenna Talling lining up in the second row.

Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir complete the forwards.

Vice-captain Megan Jones continues at centre alongside Tatyana Heard, while Jess Breach, Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne make up the back three, Natasha Hunt starts at scrumhalf and Zoe Harrison is at fly-half.