Matthews To Captain England Against Australia

Womens' Rugby World Cup Pool A: England v Australia

Venue: Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium Date: Saturday, 6 September Kick-off: 17:00 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC Two, BBC Radio Sports Extra, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app

Gloucester-Hartpury number 8 Alex Matthews will lead England against Australia successful their last Rugby World Cup excavation lucifer connected Saturday, successful nan continued absence of regular skipper Zoe Aldcroft.

Aldcroft suffered a knee wounded successful nan tournament-opening triumph complete nan United States which has ruled her out until nan knockout stages astatine least.

England's quarter-final spot is already assured but caput coach John Mitchell has picked a adjacent first-choice side, pinch 13 changes from nan rotated broadside that thrashed Samoa past weekend.

Wing Jess Breach is 1 of those retained and wins her 50th headdress up of Claudia Moloney-MacDonald.

Elsewhere, Morwenna Talling, much usually a 2nd row, is included astatine flanker, pinch erstwhile skipper Marlie Packer not successful nan matchday squad.

Fly-half Holly Aitchison is poised to make her first quality of nan tourney disconnected nan chair aft recovering from an ankle injury.

England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Galligan, Ward, Talling, Kabeya, Matthews

Replacements: Atkin-Davies, Clifford, Bern, Ives Campion, Feaunati, L Packer, Aitchison, Rowland