Marlie Packer given chance to force way back into England first team

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Marlie Packer lost the England captaincy to Zoe Aldcroft in January - Getty Images/David Rogers

As auditions for World Cup squads go, this weekend could hardly be bigger for Marlie Packer.

Packer is one of England’s most experienced players but has found herself slipping down the pecking order in the Red Roses’ fiercely competitive squad in the John Mitchell era. The Saracens flanker is among a flurry of changes Mitchell has made for Saturday’s trip to Welford Road to face Scotland, where England know another victory would set up a Grand Slam decider with France at Twickenham next week.

Whether Packer will feature in what is expected to be a marquee showdown against Les Bleues will depend on whether she capitalises on this precious opportunity to force her way back into the first team. A year ago, Packer was nailed-on as a starter in England’s starting side. But the openside flanker has found herself light on game minutes in the mix-and-match squads that Mitchell has fielded in this year’s championship and was notably left out of what were seen as the stronger XVs selected to take on Wales and Ireland.

Packer was demoted as England’s captain at the start of the year, with Mitchell challenging the 2014 World Cup winner to focus on delivering “big performances on the pitch” amid intense competition in the back row. With the rise of the dynamic Sadia Kabeya, the 35-year-old has been edged out of the picture, albeit that she remains an important part of the Red Roses leadership team. In a measure of both her longevity and strike rate, the 109-times capped international is one score away from bringing up her 50th try for her country.

Packer’s only start in this Women’s Six Nations came in England’s opening-round win over Italy, but it is a sign of the esteem in which she is still held that she joined the group as a travelling reserve for England’s emphatic drubbings over Wales and Ireland.

“Marlie’s a fantastic leader and always will be whether she’s wearing the armband or not,” said second row Abbie Ward. “She was always an incredible leader before, she’s stepped up so naturally, nothing has changed. Whether she’s playing or not, Marlie is always inputting.

“She’s always helping the squad get better. Even if she’s not on the pitch, she brings her experience, that energy and that ferocity, but she also has this other side where she brings a calmness to the squad. She’s been in tough games, she’s been on the sides of huge wins and also losses. That’s just invaluable to us. When she brings that ferocity, that energy, the aggression that we need, we feed off of as a team.”

Packer quickly made peace with Mitchell’s high-profile decision to promote Zoe Aldcroft as his captain back in January, telling the BBC in an interview the following month that a new leader was “the right thing” for the team in a year when England will target World Cup glory on home soil, and her contribution to the set-up remains high.

“The energy she has within the group is unbelievably noticeable,” Nathan Catt, the Red Roses defence coach who has been overseeing England’s scrum this tournament, said of Packer. “She gives clarity, she gives energy.”

In a clue that England could look to deploy more of a running game against Scotland, who slipped to an underwhelming 25-17 defeat to Italy in Edinburgh last week, Ellie Kildunne, Meg Jones and Jade Shekells are part of a new-look back line that promises to pack punch and pace. The trio all featured for Great Britain’s sevens team at last year’s Paris Olympics, with Shekells looking to make the most of her first Test start at inside centre.

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Jade Shekells gets a chance to make an impact on the wing at Welford Road this weekend - Getty Images/Alex Davidson

In another illustration of England’s positional variation, Mitchell, who has been working all tournament on a two-game selection policy, has handed Holly Aitchison her first start at fly-half in this championship, leaving Zoe Harrison out of the match-day squad. Aitchison was Mitchell’s go-to choice at 10 last year but has found herself edged out by Harrison, whose vision and lengthy boot has been a vital attacking platform for the Red Roses.

Elsewhere, Maddie Feaunati returns at No 8, with Alex Matthews dropping to the bench, while prop duo Kelsey Clifford and Sarah Bern are promoted to an England side that will target a 24th consecutive win over Scotland. Packer has been involved in many of those one-sided contests, but this weekend her performance takes on an added significance. With the World Cup a little over four months away, she has the biggest point to prove.

England (v Scotland, Saturday 4.45pm): Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins); Abby Dow (Ealing Trailfinders), Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers), Jade Shekells (Gloucester-Hartpury), Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs); Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears), Lucy Packer (Harlequins); Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Rosie Galligan (Saracens), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears), Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, captain), Marlie Packer (Saracens), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs).

Replacements: May Campbell (Saracens), Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning).

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