Three Chiefs in Red Roses squad to face Wales

Three Exeter Chiefs Women have been selected for the Red Roses’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations game against Wales this Saturday.

Maddie Feaunati, Claudia Moloney- MacDonald and Flo Robinson will all get the opportunity to play in round three at a sold-out Ashton Gate (KO 14:15) after being selected in head coach John Mitchell’s matchday 23.

Feaunati will start for the second week in a row at No 8, and Robinson will be hoping to come off the bench once again. Meanwhile, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald makes a return to start on the wing.

She said: “It’s always an honour and an exciting opportunity to wear the Red Rose.

“Last week, we got a lot right against Scotland, and really attacked it, but we want to go again and raise it another level this weekend. Every time we play, we try to push ourselves to be better, more connected, more consistent than we were the last time out. I’m excited to be part of the team this weekend.

“Playing at a sold-out Ashton Gate will be amazing. The crowd always gives us the extra boost. Hopefully we can make sold out stadiums the norm for England games!”

While there are no Exeter Chiefs Women’s players amid the Wales squad, they did recruit head coach Steve Salvin as interim forwards coach before the start of the tournament. Wales, though, have yet to record a win but came close against Scotland in round one.

Moloney-MacDonald added: “We expect a battle with Wales, a team that are finding some really good form, and know that we’ll need to fight for a full 80 minutes to get the result we want.”

Saturday’s game is being broadcast live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Red Roses

15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins Women)
14 Millie David (Bristol Bears Women)
13 Megan Jones (c) (Trailfinders Women)
12 Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning)
11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs Women)
10 Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks Women)
9 Lucy Packer (Harlequins Women)
1 Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester Hartpury)
2 Amy Cokayne (vc) (Sale Sharks Women)
3 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women)
4 Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women)
5 Delaney Burns (Bristol Bears Women)
6 Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning)
7 Marlie Packer (Saracens Women)
8 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs Women)

Replacements:
16 Connie Powell (Harlequins Women)
17 Kelsey Clifford (Saracens Women)
18 Maud Muir (Gloucester Hartpury)
19 Haineala Lutui (Loughborough Lightning)
20 Demelza Short (Bristol Bears Women)
21 Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs Women)
22 Zoe Harrison (Saracens Women)
23 Jess Breach (Saracens Women)