Preview: Women's Six Nations, Round 3
Ireland top the log at present but it took them to injury time to beat Scotland in Cumbernauld whereas France gave the Scots a big hiding. Smart money should be on England.
Results
Round 1
England vs France, 26-13
Ireland vs Scotland, 22-15
Wales vs Italy 20-8
Round 2
England vs Wales, 63-0
France vs Scotland, 55-0
Ireland vs Italy, 27-3
Fixtures
Round 3
England vs Italy
Ireland vs France
Scotland vs Wales
One would expect comfortable victories for England and really also France, despite Ireland's log position. The closest could be the Wales match played in Scotland.
Log after Three Rounds
1. Ireland – 10 pts
2. England – 9 pts
3. France – 5 pts
4. Wales – 4 pts
5. Scotland – 1 pt
6. Italy – 0 pts
England vs Italy
Simon Middleton has made eight changes to his successful team for this home clash against struggling Italy. He says: “Saturday will provide players who have trained hard week in, week out, with an opportunity to show what they have to offer on the pitch. We must respect Italy as a side and that is reflected by the depth of our preparation for Saturdays game.”
Emily Scarratt is the only back retained in the starting team.
Italy have just three changes. Marta Ferrari who came in after just one minute against Ireland, starts as do Elisa Pallotti in the place of injured Elisa Cucchiella and 69-times capped Paola Zangirolami who substitutes for Maria Grazia Cioffi. There are also two new players on the bench – lock Valeria Fedrighi and threequarter Elisa Bonaldo
Teams
England: 15 Sarah McKenna (Saracens), 14 Amy Wilson Hardy (Bristol), 13 Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), 12 Rachael Burford (Aylesford Bulls), 11 Kay Wilson (Richmond), 10 Emily Scott (Saracens), 9 La Toya Mason (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 8 Sarah Hunter (Bristol), (captain), 7 Marlie Packer (Bristol), 6 Alex Matthews (Richmond), 5 Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield), 4 Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 3 Laura Keates (Worcester Valkyries), 2 Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens), 1 Justine Lucas (Lichfield)
Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne (Lichfield), 17 Rochelle Clark (Worcester Valkyries), 18 Sarah Bern (Bristol), 19 Poppy Cleall (Bristol), 20 Izzy Noel-Smith (Bristol), 21 Natasha Hunt (Lichfield), 22 Katy Mclean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 23 Amber Reed (Bristol)
Italy: 15 Manuela Furlan (Aylesford Bulls), 14 Sofia Stefan (Rennes), 13 Michela Sillari (Aylesford Bulls), 12 Paola Zangirolami (Valsugana), 11 Maria Magatti (Asr Monza), 10 Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana), 9 Sara Barattin (Villorba) (captain), 8 Elisa Giordano (Valsugana), 7 Isabellla Locatelli (Asr Monza), 6 Lucia Cammarano (Asr Monza), 5 Alice Trevisan (Riviera Del Brenta), 4 Elisa Pillotti (Parabiago), 3 Lucia Gai (Valsugana), 2 Melissa Bettoni (Rennes), 1 Marta Ferrari (Rennes)
Replacements: 16 Elisa Cucchiella (Belve Neroverdi), 17 Gaia Giacomoli (Colorno), 18 Valentina Ruzza (Valsugana), 19 Michela Este (Benetton Treviso), 20 Valeria Fedrighi (Riviera), 21 Ilaria Arrighetti (Rennes), 22 Veronica Madia (Colorno), 23 Elisa Bonaldo (Colorno)
Date: Saturday, 25 February 2017
Kick-off: 13.00
Venue: The Stoop, Twickenham
Referee: Graham Cooper (Australia)
Assistant referees: Claire Hodnett (England), Local
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Scotland vs Wales
Scotland have been having a disappointing season. their two defeats follow being eliminated from the Women's World Cup by Spain.
There is just one Scottish change and that a forced one. Karen Dunbar's season is over because of a knee injury, her place on the flank taken by Jemma Forsyth who comes up from the bench.
Wales have changed four. Two are debutantes – wing Jasmine Joyce and scrumhalf Rhiannon Parker. Inside centre Rebecca de Filippo returns from injury and Cerys Hale comes into loosehead.
For the referee Cwengile Jadezweni this is his first Six Nations match.
Teams
Scotland: 15 Chloe Rollie (Murrayfield Wanderers), 14 Megan Gaffney (Edinburgh University), 13 Lisa Thomson (Edinburgh University), 12 Lisa Martin (Murrayfield Wanderers) (captain), 11 Rhona Lloyd (Edinburgh University), 10 Helen Nelson (Murrayfield Wanderers), 9 Sarah Law (Murrayfield Wanderers/Edinburgh University), 8 Jade Konkel (Hillhead Jordanhill), 7 Louise McMillan (Hillhead Jordanhill), 6 Jemma Forsyth (Hillhead Jordanhill), 5 Deborah McCormack (Aylesford Bulls), 4 Emma Wassell (Murrayfield Wanderers), 3 Lindsey Smith (Hillhead Jordanhill), 2 Lana Skeldon (Hillhead Jordanhill), 1 Tracy Balmer (Worcester)
Replacements: 16 Lucy Park (Murrayfield Wanderers), 17 Heather Lockhart (Hillhead Jordanhill), 18 Katie Dougan (Edinburgh University), 19 Sarah Bonar (Lichfield), 20 Lyndsay O'Donnell (Worcester), 21 Jenny Maxwell (Lichfield), 22 Lauren Harris (Melrose), 23 Eilidh Sinclair (Murrayfield Wanderers)
Wales: 15 Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets), 14 Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets), 13 Kerin Lake (Ospreys), 12 Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), 11 Elen Evans (Scarlets), 10 Elinor Snowsill (Newport Gwent Dragons), 9 Rhiannon Parker (Cardiff Blues), 8 Sioned Harries (Scarlets), 7 Rachel Taylor (Scarlets), 6 Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), 5 Mel Clay (Ospreys), 4 Rebecca Rowe (Newport Gwent Dragons), 3 Amy Evans (Ospreys), 2 Carys Phillips (Ospreys) (captain), 1 Cerys Hale (Newport Gwent Dragons)
Replacements: 16 Lowri Harries (Scarlets), 17 Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets), 18 Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets), 19 Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), 20 Nia Elen Davies (Blues), 21 Sian Moore (Newport Gwent Dragons), 22 Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), 23 Gemma Rowland (Newport Gwent Dragons)
Date: Friday, 24 February 2017
Kick-off: 18.20
Venue: Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Joy Neville (Ireland), Alex Pratt
Television match official: Stefano Pennè (Italy)
Timekeeper: Rebecca Wheater (Scotland)
Ireland vs France
Like England, Ireland have won both of their matches but they will not find France easy, not even at Donnybrook. But then Donnybrook is a name associated with fighting and Ireland will fight and they have done well at home, last losing in Ireland in 2015.
Matches between the two have always been close even though France are the most frequent winners. Their biggest win in recent times was 18-6 and that was last year in France.
France has just two changes to their team, both enforced. Elodie Guiglion and Christelle Le Duff drop out of the starting XV.
Ireland have six changes to the starting XV, five in the backs where only Jenny Murphy and Nora Stapleton survive.
Teams
Ireland: 15 Mairead Coyne (Galwegians), 14 Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere), 13 Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere), 12 Claire McLaughlin (Cooke), 11 Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians), 10 Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere), 9 Mary Healy (Galwegians), 8 Paula Fitzpatrick (St Mary's) (captain), 7 Claire Molloy (Bristol), 6 Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians), 5 Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere), 4 Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere), 3 Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere), 2 Leah Lyons (Highfield), 1 Lindsay Peat (Railway Union)
Replacements: 16 Ciara O'Connor (Galwegians), 17 Ilse van Staden (Cooker), 18 Ruth O'Reilly (Galwegians), 19 Ciara Cooney (Railway Union), 20 Nichola Fryday (Tullamore), 21 Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union), 22 Nikki Caughey (Railway Union), 23 Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians)
France: 15 Jessy Trémoulière (Romagnat), 14 Camille Grassineau, 13 Caroline Ladagnous (Bobigny), 12 Elodie Poublan (Montpellier), 11 Shannon Izar (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 10 Camille Cabalou (Bayonne, 9 Jade Le Pesq (Rennes), 8 Safi N’Diaye (Montpellier), 7 Marjorie Mayans (Blagnac-Saint Orens), 6 Romane Ménager (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 5 Audrey Forlani (Blagnac-Saint Orens), 4 Lénaïg Corson (Rennes), 3 Julie Duval (Caen), 2 Gaëlle Mignot (captain) (Montpellier), 1 Lise Arricastre (Lons)
Replacements: 16 Caroline Thomas (Romagnat), 17 Annaëlle Deshayes (Caenne), 18 Céline Ferer (Bayonne), 19 Laetitia Grand (Lons Bearn Pyrenees), 20 Yanna Rivoalen (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 21 Lucille Godiveau (Bobigny), 22 Marine Ménager (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 23 Patricia Carricaburu (Lons)
Date: Suinday, 26 February 2017
Kick-off: 17.50
Venue: Donnybrook
Referee: Sara Cox (England)
Assistant Referees: Beatrice Benvenuti (Italy), Dermot Blake (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Sean Davey (England)
