England receives a significant enhancement with Ellie Kildunne's comeback for the crucial semi-final clash against France
John Lewis, the head coach of England, has emphasised the importance of teamwork and focus as England prepares to face France in the World Cup semi-final. The coach believes that being effective, focused, and ready for the fight is key to England's success in the highly anticipated match.
The England team, consisting of Ashton Gate, Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Megan Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt; Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne, Maud Muir; Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward; Zoe Aldcroft, Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews, will take the field.
Notable changes have been made to the starting lineup. Zoe Harrison and Abbie Ward have been promoted to the starting lineup, having acted as replacements in the previous game. Ellie Kildunne, the world player of the year, returns from concussion to play full-back for England. Hannah Botterman, a loosehead prop, overcomes a back spasm to be available for the match.
Two further changes have been made to the starting lineup, but the specific positions and players involved remain undisclosed at this time.
England is eager to perform well in the semi-final, as stated by John Lewis. The team is coming off a winning streak against France, having won their last 16 matches, with the last defeat being in 2018. However, England's recent home games against France have been close, with England building impressive leads only to win by narrow margins. They won 38-33 in 2023 and 43-42 in 2025.
Holly Aitchison and Rosie Galligan have been given supporting roles for the match. Helena Rowland and Kelsey Clifford, who scored twice in their previous game against Scotland, drop to the bench. Lark Atkin-Davies, Kelsey Clifford, Sarah Bern, Rosie Galligan, Maddie Feaunati, Lucy Packer, Holly Aitchison, and Helena Rowland are the replacements for the match.
Meanwhile, France is expected to be driven by challenges, according to John Lewis. France beat Ireland in the quarterfinals of the current World Cup. The semi-final match between France and England will be broadcast on RTE2 and RTE Player on Friday at 6.30pm.
For those interested in rugby discussions, the RTE Rugby podcast can be listened to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available.
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