Ellie Kildunne Hands England Boost With Return For Rugby World Cup Semi-final

England’s world subordinate of nan year, Ellie Kildunne, is expected to beryllium fresh to play against France successful nan Women’s Rugby World Cup semi‑final against France connected Saturday aft missing nan 40-8 quarter-final triumph against Scotland connected Sunday.

The full-back did not play against Scotland because of concussion protocols, but afterwards nan Red Roses caput coach, John Mitchell, said: “We person a cleanable measure of wellness I think. Ellie is backmost running, backmost into collision activity and she is going good.”

Kildunne sustained a caput wounded successful England’s last excavation lucifer against Australia and was taken disconnected pinch concussion symptoms. That meant she has had to spell done a mandatory 12-day standdown period.

England astir precocious thrashed France 40-6 successful a World Cup warmup lucifer past month, but only edged a overmuch person match, 43-42, successful nan Six Nations this year.

France connected Sunday reached nan World Cup semi-finals aft pipping Ireland 18-13 successful their last-eight conflict – and Mitchell said nan lucifer gave him “a bully look astatine aged foes”.

The caput coach said: “We respect them hugely and they sewage themselves retired of a very difficult business coming successful difficult conditions arsenic well. They’ll beryllium energetic for us. They will decidedly beryllium amended for us, there’s nary uncertainty astir that. We are besides looking guardant to them arsenic well.”

Mitchell was not happy pinch each of nan officials’ calls made connected Sunday. “We recovered weakness and cynical actions successful their set-piece and we went for nan jugular location … Probably request to talk to World Rugby astir knowing erstwhile teams are truthful cynical why we don’t get awarded punishment tries sometimes.”

When asked astir nan circumstantial cynical play he was referring to, he said: “Double sacking successful a lineout that should beryllium a azygous sacking and location was repeated infringement astatine scrum time. The full 2nd half slowed down astatine scrum time. Look really ascendant we were astatine scrum time, maul and scrum was superior truthful we should beryllium rewarded for that.”