Natasha Hunt will make her first appearance of the 2023 TikTok Women’s Six Nations when England travel to Ireland on Saturday.
The Red Roses are unbeaten against Ireland since 2015 and another win in Cork would keep them on track for a fourth Grand Slam in five years.
Meanwhile hosts Ireland are seeking a first win of the campaign in their final home match of this year’s Championship.
Ireland team news
Greg McWilliams has opted to make one change in the forwards and two in the backs for the Round 4 clash at Musgrave Park.
Centre Vicky Irwin and scrum-half Molly Scuffil-McCabe enter the backline while Brittany Hogan replaces the injured Dorothy Wall in the back row.
Lauren Delany, Aoife Doyle and Natasja Behan are retained in the unchanged back three, with Irwin joining Aoife Dalton in midfield. Scuffil-McCabe partners Dannah O’Brien in the half-back positions.
McWilliams has named an unchanged front row, with Linda Djougang, Neve Jones and Christy Haney named to start and Captain Nichola Fryday and Sam Monaghan packing down in the second row.
Hogan comes in at blindside flanker, with Saracens’ Grace Moore continuing at openside and Deirbhile Nic a Bháird at number eight.
On the replacements bench, Clara Nielson, Sadhbh McGrath, Kathryn Buggy, Hannah O’Connor and Jo Brown provide the reinforcements up front, with the fit-again Nicole Cronin, Anna McGann and Méabh Deely completing the 23.
England team news
The return of scrum-half Hunt headlines the seven changes made by Simon Middleton.
Hunt last played for England in a World Cup warm-up match in September, having been omitted from the tournament in New Zealand before missing the start of this year’s Championship through injury.
There are two further personnel changes in the back line, both in the back three, with Ellie Kildunne returning at full-back and Claudia MacDonald starting on the left wing meaning a shift to the right flank for Abby Dow.
Holly Aitchison and Tatyana Heard, who earned the Player of the Match award against Wales, form the 10-12 axis while Lagi Tuima continues at outside centre.
Middleton has rung the changes in the front row too with all three shirts changing hands this week.
Hannah Botterman, a try-scorer from the bench against Wales starts at loosehead while hooker Connie Powell makes her first appearance of the campaign.
Tighthead Maud Muir completes the changes in the front row and will be joined in the side by fellow Gloucester-Hartpury stars Zoe Aldcroft and Sarah Beckett, who form the second row pairing.
The back row remains unchanged, with captain Marlie Packer resuming alongside Sadia Kabeya and Alex Matthews.
Loughborough Lightning pair Morwenna Talling and Helena Rowland are set to feature for the first time in this year’s Championship from the replacements bench.
Amber Reed is also set for a return as a finisher following her recovery from an injury suffered in last month’s opener against Scotland.
England: 15. Ellie Kildunne, 14. Abby Dow, 13. Lagi Tuima, 12. Tatyana Heard, 11. Claudia MacDonald, 10. Holly Aitchison, 9. Natasha Hunt; 1. Hannah Botterman, 2. Connie Powell, 3. Maud Muir, 4. Zoe Aldcroft (VC), 5. Sarah Beckett, 6. Sadia Kabeya, 7. Marlie Packer (C), 8. Alex Matthews
Replacements: 16. Lark Davies, 17. Mackenzie Carson, 18. Sarah Bern, 19. Delaney Burns, 20. Morwenna Talling, 21. Lucy Packer, 22. Amber Reed, 23. Helena Rowland
