Kildunne to face France in final World Cup warm-up
Kildunne is set to win her 53rd cap in the warm-up encounter against France
- Published
Women's Rugby World Cup warm-up: France v England
Venue: Stade Guy Boniface Date: Saturday 9 August Kick-off: 20:10 BST
Coverage: Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website with accompanying live text commentary and radio updates
World player of the year Ellie Kildunne has been named in a near full-strength team as England take on France in Saturday's final warm-up game before the start of the Women's Rugby World Cup later this month.
Full-back Kildunne missed England's 43-42 Six Nations win over the same opponents in April with a leg injury.
Elsewhere, Zoe Harrison retains her spot at fly-half from last weekend's 97-7 thrashing of Spain.
There are 11 changes to the starting line-up from that victory with Abby Dow coming onto the wing and Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir in the front row.
Captain Zoe Aldcroft returns at blind-side flanker with Sadia Kabeya and Alex Matthews completing the back row.
"Ellie is like the 11 others who are starting for the first time, she is keen as mustard," said head coach John Mitchell.
Kildunne, 25, has become perhaps the foremost face of the Rugby World Cup after a 2024 stellar campaign that included 14 tries in nine Tests and being named as the world's best 15s player.
Mitchell says she can deal with the scrutiny.
"All she can do is be where her feet are," he added. "Our culture focuses on that.
"You can't control what is ahead of you, you can't control what you have left behind, but you can control where your feet are.
"Ultimately that is about focus."
Moloney-MacDonald's injury absence continues
Moloney-MacDonald started on the wing and scored England's fourth try in their Six Nations win over France in April
Wing Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and back Holly Aitchison, contenders for starting spots in a first-choice backline, are still managing injuries.
Emily Scarratt, who will be taking part in a fifth Rugby World Cup, is unavailable as she continues her recovery from a head injury.
The Red Roses' World Cup campaign begins against the United States on Friday 22 August.
Mitchell is more concerned about England's performance about France than maintaining a winning run that stands at 26 matches and nearly three years.
"We always respect France, but the scoreboard doesn't matter this week, the performance does," he said.
"There will be some aspects of this performance that we can learn from and get better."
France are without scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus, who is serving a ban for criticising the referee's performance in France's domestic final.
Instead Alexandra Chambon plays at nine in a side co-captained by second row Manae Feleu and centre Marine Menager. Uncapped back row Khoudedia Cissokho is on the bench.
France: Bourgeois; Grisez, Menager (c), Neisen, Arbey; Arbez, Chambon; Deshaye, Bigot, Barnadou, Feleu (c), Fall Raclot, Escudero, Champon, Feleu
Replacements: Riffonneau, Brosseau, Khalfaoui, Ikahehegi, Maka, Cissokho, Queyroi, Tuy
England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft, Kabeya, Matthews
Replacements: Atkin-Davies, Clifford, Bern, Galligan, Feaunati, L Packer, Rowland, Sing