Back row Abi Burton is set to make a remarkable England debut in the Women’s Six Nations just three years after spending 25 days in a coma while battling encephalitis.
Two-time Olympian Burton has been named on the bench in the Red Roses team to face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday with head coach John Mitchell ringing the changes after an opening win over Italy.
The 25-year-old has made an extraordinary comeback to elite rugby after a 76-day stay in hospital in 2022 after dealing with the autoimmune condition, with Burton losing three stone in weight and wrongly sectioned after an initial misdiagnosis.
The flanker had to learn to walk and talk again following the ordeal, but battled back into the Team GB sevens set-up to make a second Olympics at Paris 2024 last year.
She has forced her way into Mitchell’s plans ahead of a home World Cup on the back of strong form in Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) for Trailfinders, and is primed to make her international bow at the Principality Stadium this weekend.
Having informed the squad of his intention to rotate and their likely roles across the first two rounds ahead of the campaign, Mitchell recalls a host of key figures to his side for the trip to Cardiff.
A familiar-looking backline sees Ellie Kildunne win her 50th cap at full-back and Zoe Harrison handed a chance to impress at fly half in a developing battle for the 10 shirt with Holly Aitchison and Helena Rowland, both named among the replacements.
Zoe Aldcroft skippers the side again from blindside flanker with Morwenna Talling partnering the experienced Abbie Ward in the second row. Maddie Feaunati again wears No 8 in the absence of Alex Matthews, who is suspended.
Over 18,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) hopeful of further growth to bolster a record crowd for a standalone women’s fixture in the country.
Sean Lynn takes charge of his first fixture on home soil since his appointment as head coach and makes two changes to the side that lost narrowly to Scotland in Edinburgh.
Prop Gwenllian Pyrs and lock Gwen Crabb bolster the tight five with Lleucu George and Kayleigh Powell again paired in playmaking partnership at 10 and 12. Flankers Alex Callender, who has a foot injury, and Alisha Butchers, who is dealing with a virus, were unavailable for selection.
Wales XV to face England in Cardiff (Saturday 29 March, 4.45pm GMT): 1 Gwenllian Pyrs, 2 Carys Phillips, 3 Jenni Scoble; 4 Abbie Fleming, 5 Gwen Crabb; 6 Kate Williams, 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Georgia Evans; 9 Keira Bevan, 10 Lleucu George; 11 Carys Cox, 12 Kayleigh Powell, 13 Hannah Jones (capt.), 14 Lisa Neumann; 15 Jasmine Joyce.
Replacements: 16 Kelsey Jones, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Alaw Pyrs, 20 Bryonie King; 21 Meg Davies, 22 Courtney Keight, 23 Nel Metcalfe.
England XV : 1 Mackenzie Carson, 2 Lark Atkin-Davies, 3 Sarah Bern; 4 Morwenna Talling, 5 Abbie Ward; 6 Zoe Aldcroft (capt.), 7 Sadia Kabya, 8 Maddie Feaunati; 9 Natasha Hunt, 10 Zoe Harrison; 11 Jess Breach, 12 Tatyana Heard, 13 Meg Jones, 14 Abby Dow; 15 Ellie Kildunne.
Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne, 17 Hannah Botterman, 18 Maud Muir, 19 Rosie Galligan, 20 Abi Burton; 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Holly Aitchison, 23 Helena Rowland.
