Women's Six Nations, Round 2
Three matches in Round 1, three winners, and two of those winners meet in Round 2, each huge winners.
In fact Sunday’s match between England and France France up in Doncaster almost certainly will decide the destination of the championship.
The third winner, Italy, plays well-beaten Wales in Italy while Ireland cross over to Glasgow to play Scotland, a match between first-round losers.
Results, Round 1
England vs Ireland, 51-7 in Ireland
France vs Wales, 52-3 in France
Italy vs Scotland, 28-7 in Italy
Scotland vs Ireland at Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Scotland have changed two in the starting XV. Lock Deborah McCormack is back from injury. She takes the place of Sarah Bonar who slips back to No.8 in the place of the injured Siobhan Cattigan. The bench is unchanged.
Ireland have four changes to their starting team – three new players plus a switch in the front row where at hooker where Leah Lyons moves from hooker to tighthead and Emma Hooban comes up from the bench to hook.
Alison Miller comes up from the bench for her first start since breaking her leg against Italy last season. Anna Caplice also comes up from the bench to start.
Two uncapped players come onto the bench – replacement hooker Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird and Ulster’s Claire Boles.
Teams
Scotland: 15 Chloe Rollie, 14 Liz Musgrove, 13 Hannah Smith, 12 Lisa Thomson (captain), 11 Annabel Sergeant, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Mhairi Grieve, 8 Sarah Bonar, 7 Rachel McLachlan, 6 Rachel Malcolm, 5 Deborah McCormack, 4 Emma Wassell, 3 Megan Kennedy, 2 Lana Skeldon, 1 Lisa Cockburn
Replacements: 16 Jodie Rettie, 17 Katie Dougan, 18 Mairi Forsyth, 19 Sophie Anderson, 20 Nicola Howat, 21 Sarah Law, 22 Lisa Martin, 23 Rhona Lloyd
Ireland: 15 Lauren Delany, 14 Eimear Considine, 13 Sene Naoupu, 12 Michelle Claffey, 11 Alison Miller, 10 Nicole Fowley, 9 Ailsa Hughes, 8 Ciara Griffin (captain), 7 Claire Molloy, 6 Anna Caplice, 5 Nichola Fryday, 4 Aoife McDermott, 3 Leah Lyons, 2 Emma Hooban, 1 Laura Feely
Replacements: 16 Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, 17 Linda Djougang, 18 Fiona Reidy, 19 Claire Boles, 20 Claire McLaughlin, 21 Kathryn Dane, 22 Ellen Murphy, 23 Megan Williams
Date: Friday, 8 February 2019
Kick-off: 19.35
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Expected weather conditions: Cold and wet. Rain is expected with a high of 9°C, dropping to 6°C – a cold evening.
Referee: Maria Beatrice Benvenuti (Italy)
Assistant referees: Clara Munarini (Italy), tba (Scotland)
Television match official: Stefano Roscini (Italy)
Italy vs Wales at Stadio Via del Mar, Lecce
Clearly, satisfied with the Scottish victory, Italy have only one change – at loosehead where Gaia Giacomoli becomes the hooker replacement on the bench while Silvia Turani moves up from replacement hooker to loosehead. And that is the only change to the bench.
Wales have made few changes. The locks are new where Mel Clay is injured and Siwan Lillicrap has moved back to No.8 while Beth Lewis has moved up to the flank. The backs are unchanged.
Teams
Italy: 15 Manuela Furlan (captain), 14 Aura Muzzo, 13 Michela Sillari, 12 Beatrice Rigoni, 11 Sofia Stefan, 10 Veronica Madia, 9 Sara Barattin, 8 Elisa Giordano, 7 Giada Franco, 6 Ilaria Arrighetti, 5 Giordana Duca, 4 Valentina Ruzza, 3 Lucia Gai, 2 Melissa Bettoni, 1 Silvia Turani
Replacements: 16 Gaia Giacomoli, 17 Elena Serilli, 18 Sara Tounesi, 19 Valeria Fedrighi, 20 Lucia Cammarano, 21 Francesca Sberna, 22 Jessica Busato, 23 Camilla Sarasso
Wales: 15 Lauren Smyth, 14 Jasmine Joyce, 13 Hannah Jones, 12 Alicia McComish, 11 Lisa Neumann, 10 Robyn Wilkins, 9 Keira Bevan, 8 Siwan Lillicrap, 7 Bethan Lewis, 6 Manon Johnes, 5 Gwen Crabb, 4 Natalia John, 3 Amy Evans, 2 Carys Phillips (captain), 1 Caryl Thomas
Replacements: 16 Kelsey Jones, 17 Cara Hope, 18 Cerys Hale, 19 Alisha Butchers, 20 Alex Callender , 21 Ffion Lewis, 22 Elinor Snowsill, 23 Jess Kavanagh
Date: Saturday, 9 February 2019
Kick-off: 20.00
Venue: Stadio Via del Mar, Lecce (Ettore Giardininero)
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 13°C and a low of 4°C. It will be cold when the match is played.
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Ian Tempest (England), tba (Italy)
Television match official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
England vs France at Castle Park, Doncaster, England
France have made no changes to the starting team that hammered Wales. The only changes are three on the bench where Agathe Sochat, Coumba Diallo and Laurianne Lissar replace Laure Touye, Fiona Lecat and Morgane Peyronnet.
England: 15 Sarah McKenna, 14 Jess Breach, 13 Emily Scarratt, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Kelly Smith, 10 Katy Daley-Mclean, 9 Leanne Riley,8 Sarah Hunter (captain), 7 Poppy Leitch, 6 Poppy Cleall, 5 Abbie Scott, 4 Catherine O’Donnell,3 Sarah Bern, 2 Lark Davies, 1Vickii Cornborough
Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne, 17 Hannah Botterman, 18 Shaunagh Brown, 19 Rowena Burnfield, 20 Sarah Beckett, 21 Natasha Hunt, 22 Zoe Harrison, 23 Emily Scott
France: 15 Caroline Boujard, 14 Ian Jason, 13 Marine Ménager, 12 Gabrielle Vernier, 11 Léa Murie, 10 Camille Imart, 9 Pauline Bourdon, 8 Romane Ménager, 7 Céline Ferer, 6 Gaëlle Hermet (captain), 5 Safi N’Diaye, 4 Lénaïg Corson, 3 Clara Joyeux, 2 Caroline Thomas, 1 Lise Arricastre
Replacements: 16 Agathe Sochat, 17 Dhia Maylis Traore, 18 Sabine Argagnon, 19 Audrey Forlani, 20 Coumba Diallo, 21 Yanna Rivoalen, 22 Laurianne Lissar, 23 Doriane Constanty
Date: Sunday, 10 February 2019
Kick-off: 12.45
Venue: Castle Park, Doncaster
Expected weather conditions: Rainy with a high of 8°C and a low of 1°C
Referee: Tim Baker (Hong Kong)
Assistant referees: Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Nikki O’Donnell (England)
Television match official: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assessor: Gareth Thomas (Wales)
