Women's 6N Tension Increases
They are playing excellent rugby and are the only team with three wins out of three but in the last two rounds they are playing the teams with the best chance of frustrating their hopes of the Championship, the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam.
After their wins over Scotland and Ireland, the Triple Crown is up for grabs this week when they play Wales who have won two out of three. Win that and they face France who also have won two out of three.
Money would be on England, though.
Fixtures for Round 4
Ireland vs Italy at Donnybrook, Dublin
England vs Wales at The Stoop, Twickenham
Scotland vs France at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld
Round 1 Results
Ireland vs Wales, 21-3.
England vs Scotland, 32-0
France vs Italy, 39-0
Round 2 Results
France vs Ireland, 18-6
England vs Italy, 33-24
Wales vs Scotland, 23-10
Round 3 Results
England vs Ireland, 13-9
Wales vs France, 10-8
Italy vs Scotland, 22-7
England vs Wales on Saturday, 12 March, kick-off 18.05
At Twickenham last week, England are next door at the Stoop this week. Like last time, the women's match will kick off after the men's match. It promises to be an exciting afternoon.
Wales have been able to choose the same starting team that had the exacting win over France in Wales in Round 3. In the only change to the squad Mel Clay comes onto the bench.
Wales coach Rhys Edwards said: "We had a specific game plan against France, which worked well with the selections we made. It's the same case for England. England are a similar proposition to France – they are very strong up front, very well coached and well organised.
"We didn't have much possession against France – this is something we are looking forward to improving, and give our backs the opportunity to show what they are capable of against England. It's important that we don't get carried away with the result last week, and focus on the next challenge. The win against France was the result of good preparation, hard work and belief. This weekend can't be any different!
"Going in to the championship it was always our target to beat England away, as we have never achieved this in the past."
England has the same squad that beat Ireland with some swapping within the squad. Tamara Taylor starts at lock to earn her 90th cap. Abbie Scott moves from lock to flank and Harriet Millar-Mills goes to the bench.
Teams:
England: 15 Katie Mason, 14 Lydia Thompson, 13 Lauren Cattell, 12 Ceri Large, 11 Lotte Clapp, 10 Amber Reed, 9 La Toya Mason, 8 Sarah Hunter (captain), 7 Izzy Noel-Smith, 6 Abbie Scott, 5 Emily Braund, 4 Emily Braund, 3 Vickii Cornborough, 2 Emma Croker, 1 Rochelle Clark
Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne, 17 Heather Kerr, 18 Bee Dawson, 19 Harriet Millar-Mills, 20 Poppy Leitch, 21 Bianca Blackburn, 22 Ruth Laybourn, 23 Leanne Riley
Wales: 15 Dyddgu Hywel, 14 Bethan Dainton, 13 Hannah Jones, 12 Robyn Wilkins, 11 Elen Evans, 10 Elinor Snowsill, 9 Keira Bevan, 8 Sioned Harries, 7 Sian Williams, 6 Rachel Taylor (captain), 5 Rebecca Rowe, 4 Shona Powell-Hughes, 3 Megan York, 2 Carys Phillips, 1 Catrin Edwards.
Replacements: 16 Amy Price, 17 Cerys Hale, 18 Amy Evans, 19 Siwan Lillicrap, 20 Alisha Butchers, 21 Mel Clay, 22 Kerin Lake, 23 Adi Taviner
Referee: Sherry Trumbull (Canada)
Scotland vs France on Friday, 11 March 2016, kick-off 18.00
Scotland look certainties for the wooden spoon. They have not one a match and have been comfortably beaten in their three matches, their last against Italy. They play France who may well be the second best side in the competition.
There is a change in the centres. Teenager Lisa Thomson moves from inside to outside and last match's flyhalf Lisa Martin moves to inside centre. Sarah Law comes in to flyhalf while Eilidh Sinclair drops to the bench. Megan Gaffney shifts to the wing. There is just one change to the pack – Heather Lockhart in at loosehead. Uncapped Helen Nelson comes onto the bench. Lauren Harris comes back from injury and onto the bench.
France have dropped four players out of their squad – Audrey Abadie, Arkya Ait Lahbib, Caroline Boujard and Agathe Sochat.
Caroline Boujard is injured and Coralie Betrand moves up from the bench to take her place but the big changes are at halfback where goal kicker Audrey Abadie and Yanna Rivoalen are replaced by players who are inexperienced but offer great attacking possibilities. Camille Imart and Laure Sansus were on the bench in the last match.
Locks Romane Menager and Celine Ferer swap places, giving the former her first start. Julie Annery is reward by her good showing as a substitute against Wales with a start against Scotland. Patricia Carricaburu starts in the place of Julie Duval at tighthead.
Teams:
Scotland: 15 Chloe Rollie, 14 Megan Gaffney, 13 Lisa Thomson, 12 Lisa Martin (captain), 11 Rhona Lloyd, 10 Sarah Law, 9 Jennifer Maxwell, 8 Jade Konkel, 7 Karen Dunbar, 6 Jemma Forsyth, 5 Deborah McCormack, 4 Emma Wassell, 3 Lindsey Smith, 2 Lana Skeldon, 1 Heather Lockhart
Replacements: 16 Sarah Quick, 17 Debbie Falconer, 18 Lisa Robertson, 19 Tracy Balmer, 20 Anna Stodter, 21 Helen Nelson, 22 Lauren Harris, 23 Eilidh Sinclair
France: 15 Julie Billes, 14 Coralie Bertrand, 13 Lucille Godiveau, 12 Elodie Poublan, 11 Laura Delas, 10 Camille Imart, 9 Laure Sansus, 8 Safi N’Diaye, 7 Pauline Rayssac, 6 Julie Annery, 5 Audrey Forlani, 4 Romane Menager, 3 Patricia Carricaburu, 2 Gaëlle Mignot (captain), 1 Lise Arricastre
Replacements: 16 Manon Bigot, 17 Dhia Traore, 18 Celine Ferer, 19 Laetitia Grand, 20 Yanna Rivoalen, 21 Camille Boudaud, 22 Camille Cabalou, 23 Julie Duval
Referee: Helen O'Reilly (Ireland)
Assessor: Wayne Erickson (Australia)
Ireland vs Italy on Sunday, 13 March 2016, kick-off 13.00
Coach Tom Tierney has been flourishing the secateurs after Ireland's defeat against the strong England side. Not that there was any disgrace in the 13-9 loss at Twickenham. He has made eight changes plus three positional changes. It looks more like a team starting the compeition, not one goinfg into its fourth match.
Behind the scrum only inside centre Sene Naoupu is where she was against England. The forwards are better off with two players back where they were – Ailis Egan and Cliodhna Moloney.
Two of the back three are uncapped – Kim Flood, who has been playing Sevens, and Liz Burke. Kim Flood goes to fullback while captain Niamh moves into the centre. Wing Alison Miller and flyhalf Nikki Caughey come back into the side after playing Sevens in Sydney and Sao Paulo. Scrumhalf Mary Healy starts for the first time.
Lindsay Peat gets her first start at loosehead and Elaine Anthony gets her first cap at lock. And there are new flanks in Ciaran Cooney and Ciaran Griffin
Italy, happy that their victory over Scotland qualified them for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup have just one change. Veronica Schaivon is injured and her place is filled by moving inside centre Beatrice Sillari to flyhalf while Michela Sillari moves into centre.
Teams
Ireland: 15 Kim Flood, 14 Liz Burke, 13 Niamh Briggs (captain), 12 Sene Naoupu, 11 Alison Miller, 10 Nikki Caughey, 9 Mary Healy, 8 Sophie Spence, 7 Ciara Griffin, 6 Ciara Cooney, 5 Marie Louise Reilly, 4 Elaine Anthony, 3 Ailis Egan, 2 Cliodhna Moloney, 1 Lindsay Peat.
Replacements: 16 Zoe Grattage, 17 Ruth O'Reilly, 18 Fiona Reidy, 19 Claire Molloy, 20 Paula Fitzpatrick, 21 Larissa Muldoon, 22 Nora Stapleton, 23 Claire McLaughlin
Italy: 15 Manuela Furlan, 14 Maria Magatti , 13 Maria Grazia Cioffi, 12 Michela Sillari, 11 Sofia Stefan, 10 Beatrice Rigoni, 9 Sara Barattin (captain), 8 Elisa Giordano, 7 Isabella Locatelli, 6 Michela Este, 5 Alice Trevisan, 4 Elisa Pillotti, 3 Melissa Bettoni, 2 Lucia Cammarano, 1 Elisa Cucchiella
Replacements: 16 Lucia Gai, 17 Gaia Giacomolli, 18 Diletta Nicoletti, 19 Valentina Ruzza, 20 Ilaria Arrigheti, 21 Silvia Folli, 22 Paola Zangirolami, 23 Veronica Madia
Referee: Amy Perrett (Australia)
Assistant referees: John Carvill, Sue Carthy
Assessor: Kat Todd (USA)
