Field Earns First England Start in Canada Rematch — SkimNews
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- Bryony Field earns her first England start at hooker for Saturday's WXV Global Series match against Canada at Exeter's Sandy Park.
- Field scored a debut try off the bench in England's 48-15 win over Australia last weekend, cheered on by young Huddersfield RFC girls.
- England have hooker absences through Amy Cokayne's injury, Connie Powell's surgery recovery, and Lark Atkin-Davies' recent motherhood.
- A new half-back pairing of Lucy Packer and Zoe Harrison features, with Jess Breach and Alex Matthews returning from injury.
- John Mitchell said England "will be expected to raise our standards" against a Canada side that presents "a different challenge" to Australia.
- England have won 34 of 38 meetings with Canada, including the last 14 straight, since Canada's 52-17 win in Salt Lake City in 2016.
- After Canada, England face New Zealand at Twickenham on September 26, then travel to Toronto, Ottawa, and New Jersey in October.
Why it matters: Fourteen of England's matchday 23 were in the World Cup final squad, signaling continuity in their title-defense push. But with three hookers unavailable and a debutant thrust into that position, England's front-row depth is being stress-tested ahead of tougher fixtures against world No. 2 New Zealand and autumn Tests in North America.
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