Burton Makes First England Start In Spain Warm-up

Rugby World Cup warm-up: England v Spain

Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road Date: Saturday, 2 August Kick-off: 15:00 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC iPlayer and website pinch unrecorded matter commentary connected nan website and app

Flanker Abi Burton makes her first Test commencement arsenic England statesman their pursuit of a location women's Rugby World Cup title pinch a warm-up lucifer against Spain connected Saturday.

The 25-year-old has fought her measurement backmost to nan apical after spending much than 3 weeks successful an induced coma successful 2022 arsenic she was treated for autoimmune encephalitis.

The erstwhile Sevens player's erstwhile 2 appearances for nan Red Roses came disconnected nan chair successful this year's Six Nations campaign.

Elsewhere England make 10 changes from nan starting line-up that hit France successful their Grand Slam decider successful April, pinch respective front-line stars rested.

Inside centre Jade Shekells and 2nd statement Lilli Ives Campion, who some person 2 caps, are fixed a chance to liking their claims, while Lucy Packer is successful astatine starting scrum-half pinch Natasha Hunt connected nan bench.

Marlie Packer, winning her 111th cap, captains nan broadside from open-side flanker pinch Maddie Feaunati switching to number 8 and Burton completing nan backmost row.

The versatile Helena Rowland starts for nan first clip connected nan helping having antecedently covered nan position from nan bench. Jess Breach is connected nan different pinch Emma Sing continuing astatine full-back.

Zoe Aldcroft, Sadia Kabeya, Holly Aitchison and Abby Down are among nan replacements.

England's gathering pinch Spain, classed 13th successful nan world, is nan first of 2 warm-up matches for nan World Cup. They will besides return connected France distant adjacent week, earlier they statesman their World Cup run against nan United States successful Sunderland connected 22 August.

England: Sing; Rowland, Jones, Shekells, Breach; Harrison, L Packer; Clifford, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Galligan, Campion, Burton, M Packer (capt) Feaunati.

Replacements: Campbell, Botterman, Muir, Aldcroft, Kabeya, Hunt, Aitchison, Dow