England head coach John Mitchell insists his selfless Red Roses are simplifying selection despite the fierce competition for places.
Mitchell has named an experimental side for Sunday’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations opener against Italy in York, including giving first starts to lock Lilli Ives Campion and wing Mia Venner.
There are only seven survivors from the side that beat Canada 21-12 to finish top of WXV1 in October, as well as three positional curveballs in captain Zoe Aldcroft moving from lock to blindside flanker, Holly Aitchison switching from fly-half to inside centre and Helena Rowland filling the number 10 jersey.
England are hosting the World Cup later this year and Mitchell revealed that he will be relying on two different teams to ensure they enter the tournament in the best possible shape.
“The girls have gone beyond that stage of being selfish, which isn’t always intentional but it can be if they don’t understand how culture wins,” Mitchell said.
“Basically we’ve got to use the competition for places to our advantage. It’s a huge advantage, it’s healthy.
“The Red Roses have never been a team that waits in my view. We’ve always been a team that looks to raise the bar early and set the standard.
“If you don’t have competition and you don’t have people chasing each other, how do you push and raise the bar? That’s one of our advantages and one of the things we will stick to.
“2025 starts with the end in mind. It’s important to realise we’ll need two teams to operate this year to play 13 Test matches. We wouldn’t call it rotation. It’s one team operating as two.
“The planning is very much around that and it would be stupid not to plan with that mind. So we’ve started with this team against Italy. It has an exciting mix in it.”
Venner fills the right wing for the LNER Community Stadium showdown as part of a back three that includes Claudia MacDonald and Emma Sing, who make their first Test appearances for 16 months.
Centre Jade Shekells, who played for Team GB in the sevens at last year’s Olympics, and scrum-half Flo Robinson will make their debuts if they feature off the bench.
Reigning women’s world player of the year Ellie Kildunne is included among the replacements.
Back row Alex Matthews will miss the opening two rounds of the Six Nations after being cited for a dangerous tackle on duty for Gloucester-Hartpury against Saracens last Sunday.
Matthews has been given a three-match ban, which will be reduced to two if she completes World Rugby’s coaching intervention programme.
England will win an unprecedented eighth successive title and fourth consecutive Grand Slam if they defend their Championship crown.
