Kildunne drops to bench as England ring changes

Star full-back Ellie Kildunne has been dropped to the bench as England shake up their selection in response to a first defeat in four years.

Kildunne was part of the starting XV who lost 24-21 to Canada last Friday in Toronto with the Red Roses' unbeaten streak ending at 41 matches.

Head coach John Mitchell has accused his side of losing the hunger that fuelled a run which took in four successive Six Nations Grand Slams and last year's landmark world title on home soil.

"Last Friday, we lost sight of what we could control when it mattered most. That's on us to fix," said Mitchell.

"This week is about getting back to who we are - hungry, accountable to each other and demanding more of ourselves than anyone outside this group ever could."

Emma Sing comes in at full-back in Kildunne's place for Saturday's rematch (00:00 BST) against Canada in Ottawa, while Tatyana Heard and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald - backline starters in the defeat - drop out of the matchday squad entirely.

Helena Rowland and Mia Venner replace Heard and Moloney-MacDonald at inside centre and wing respectively.

In the fourth change to the starting line-up, Sadia Kabeya, who appeared off the bench last week on her comeback from a leg injury, starts with Alex Matthews, two-time Rugby World Cup winner, dropping to the bench.

Exeter's Flo Robinson and Sale's Hollie Aitchison are included on the bench as a new-look set of half-back replacements.

Sing, a rangy runner who can also kick goals, started two matches at full-back during England's Six Nations campaign, with Kildunne switching to a different position on the wing on each occasion.

Sing's Gloucester-Hartpury team-mate Venner made her England debut in 2020 aged just 17.

Venner has won only another four caps since but was putting pressure on England's more established back three at the start of this year, appearing in wins over Scotland and Italy.

The 24-year-old finished as the PWR's joint top try-scorer last season, crossing 12 times.

Moloney-MacDonald cost her side an early try in the defeat by Canada when, after doing superbly to pick Jess Breach's pass off her toes, she spilled the ball over the line in the sixth minute.

"We've earned a strong period but nothing about it is owed to us going forward," said Mitchell.

"Friday [Saturday 00:00 BST] is an opportunity to apply sustained pressure, learn from what we missed and come out the other side better than we went in."