Le Crunch looms large for the Red Roses

The Red Roses have a significant hurdle to overcome to claim yet another Guinness Women’s Six Nations grand slam…and that’s France.

Both England and the French side go into Sunday’s last game of the tournament with four wins apiece and 20 points each.

The Red Roses have been beset with injuries for this campaign and have missed a few pregnant players too but have still managed to dominate all their games so far.

This Six Nations has seen run-outs for three Exeter Chiefs Women: Maddie Feaunati, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Flo Robinson.

Maddie Feaunati has been recalled to action after missing last week’s game with a leg injury. She will start at No 8 while winger Moloney-MacDonald will be lurking with intent in the number 11 jersey.

Robinson will get her fifth cap on Sunday after a spirited performance from the bench in Parma against Italy.

The 24-year-old said: “France is the big game, and it's a very exciting prospect to play in it. It's the grand slam decider, and I've never played in a game like that before so I'm very excited.

“I've been loving the tournament so far, I've just tried to play my game and get as stuck in as possible, which has been very enjoyable.”

Chiefs coaching team has been watching Robinson’s progress from afar.

Assistant coach Oli Bishop said: “For me, she is bringing the same flair and form from the PWR into the international game. She offers something a little different with the key things being that Flo loves to play at tempo, which is giving England a great opportunity to play with quick ball.

“She also has a really good physical game as a nine, which we probably don’t see as much from the other international scrum-halves in the Six Nations. Whether that be from sniping runs and carries or looking at line-breaks or at least setting players up. She has also demonstrated her physicality in defence where she is a strong tackler and good option in those wider channels.”

France v England kicks off 16:45 at the Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux. The game is being shown live on BBC Radio 2.

Red Roses

15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins Women, 61 caps)
14 Jess Breach (Saracens Women, 56 caps)
13 Meg Jones (c) (Trailfinders Women, 37 caps)
12 Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 50 caps)
11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Harlequins Women, 39 caps)
10 Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 69 caps)
9 Lucy Packer (Harlequins Women, 43 caps)
1 Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury Women, 28 caps)
2 Amy Cokayne (vc) (Sale Sharks Women, 93 caps)
3 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women, 83 caps)
4 Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, 7 caps)
5 Delaney Burns (Brisot Bears Women, 5 caps)
6 Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women, 8 caps)
7 Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 31 caps)
8 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs Women, 26 caps)

16 Connie Powell (Harlequins Women, 23 caps)
17 Liz Crake (Trailfinders Women, 2 caps)
18 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury Women, 52 caps)
19 Demelza Short (Bristol Bears Women, 3 caps)
20 Marlie Packer (Saracens Women, 115 caps)
21 Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs Women, 4 caps)
22 Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks Women, 48 caps)
23 Emma Sing (Gloucester Hartpury, 16 caps)