England's 'selection Headaches' For Grand Slam Decider

England's 59-7 thrashing of Scotland successful Leicester group up a Women's Six Nations Grand Slam-decider pinch France astatine Allianz Stadium, Twickenham connected Saturday.

The Red Roses are chasing a 4th successive Grand Slam and a seventh Six Nations title successful a row.

Head coach John Mitchell has utilized 34 players this run arsenic he seeks to build "two teams" earlier a location Rugby World Cup that starts successful August.

Competition for places is now arsenic competitory arsenic ever, pinch Mitchell saying he has immoderate "selection headaches" to make.

What are nan large calls incoming adjacent week?

Usually a caput coach sticks pinch his main starting fly-half and builds nan remainder of nan squad accordingly.

But that has not been nan lawsuit pinch Mitchell this Six Nations - nan New Zealander has utilized 3 different fly-halves crossed 4 games.

Utility backmost Helena Rowland started nan opening-round triumph complete Italy, pinch Saracens' Zoe Harrison starting nan back-to-back victories complete Wales and Ireland.

Holly Aitchison, who was Mitchell's main 10 past year, started her first crippled astatine fly-half this run successful Saturday's triumph complete Scotland.

Harrison's tactical kicking has been praised by Mitchell, who antecedently favoured Aitchison's moving game.

But Aitchison showed betterment successful her kicking crippled connected Saturday, summed up by a well-weighted nudge in-behind Scotland's defence during nan first half, to show nan England coaches that she tin besides power a crippled for illustration Harrison.

Seven retired of 9 conversions besides indicated betterment from nan kicking tee - an area nan Bristol Bears fly-half struggled pinch past Six Nations.

"Holly has put that [goal-kicking issue] to furniture and ticked nan container that says 'you can't prime maine because I can't do that', which is each you tin do arsenic a player," erstwhile England fly-half Katy Daley-McLean told BBC'S Rugby Union Weekly.

France bask an unstructured game, well-suited for attacking rugby, which whitethorn mean Mitchell leans towards kicking power astatine 10.

The title complete who will partner nan chosen fly-half is besides heating up.

Natasha Hunt has been Mitchell's go-to starting scrum-half during his tenure, but aft a slow commencement against Ireland, erstwhile England led only 7-5 astatine half-time successful Cork, replacement scrum-half Lucy Packer helped velocity up nan crippled successful a much-improved second-half capacity that ended 49-5 successful England's favour.

Packer was rewarded pinch a commencement against Scotland and again showed her accelerated work arsenic England scored 42 first-half points.

Harlequins' Packer impacting nan crippled from nan bench, pinch Hunt's acquisition from nan off, has been nan accustomed play by Mitchell, but he is not awkward of a bold action call.

Captain Zoe Aldcroft has moved from fastener to blind-side flanker this run and is nan only Red Roses subordinate to commencement each game.

Regular number 8 and 2014 World Cup-winner Alex Matthews was suspended for nan opening 2 games, which opened nan doorway for Maddie Feaunati to prime up nan subordinate of nan lucifer successful nan opening round, earlier scoring 2 tries successful Cardiff.

Another powerful show against Scotland by nan 22-year-old Exeter Chief intends Mitchell now has to determine betwixt shape and experience.

Matthews, 31, picked up subordinate of nan lucifer successful past year's Grand Slam decider successful Bordeaux, and has been Mitchell's reliable big-game player, drafting connected her 74 caps of experience.

Former England skipper Marlie Packer grabbed her 50th England effort connected Saturday successful her 110th headdress successful a gentle reminder of her value astatine open-side flanker.

Despite losing nan captaincy to Aldcroft successful January, nan 35-year-old featured against Italy and Scotland this run and will dream nan acquisition of captaining England to their past 2 Grand Slams will spell successful her favour.

Loughborough Lightning's Sadia Kabeya, 23, shone erstwhile wearing nan 7 garment successful nan different 2 games and has an expertise to nutrient large turnovers, specified arsenic nan 1 against Wales connected England's tryline, arsenic good arsenic linking play successful attack.

When England won their 3rd Grand Slam successful a statement past year, their settled backmost 3 of Jess Breach, Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne scored a mixed 18 tries.

Wing Breach suffered a semipermanent hep wounded successful November, ruling nan 27-year-old retired until February.

While Dow and Kildunne person continued their scintillating shape of past year, pinch a mixed 8 tries this championship, Breach, who has looked vulnerable connected her return, has yet to people this campaign.

Exeter Chiefs' Claudia MacDonald returned to nan Red Roses aft missing past year's Six Nations pursuing a 2nd cervix injury, and backed up her try-scoring return against Italy successful information 1 pinch 2 tries and a player-of-the-match capacity against Scotland.

The 29-year-old, who played successful nan World Cup last conclusion by New Zealand successful 2022, has impressed pinch her precocious work-rate, crisp footwork and balanced moving style.

Gloucester-Hartpury helping Mia Venner saw her good Premiership Women's Rugby shape rewarded successful information one, but contempt scoring and looking vulnerable connected nan ball, nan 22-year-old has not been seen since.

The narration Breach has pinch Kildunne and Dow whitethorn tilt nan action successful her favour, but MacDonald is now surely pushing for inclusion.

Asked for her England starters successful nan jerseys 7 to 10 for nan crippled against France, Daley-McLean told Rugby Union Weekly: "John Mitchell will look astatine it arsenic a tactical crippled and not conscionable prime connected conscionable shape alone. It will beryllium what he wants this England squad to play for illustration to hit France.

"I'd spell Marlie Packer, Maddie Feaunati, Mo Hunt and Zoe Harrison."