Wing David to make England debut against Wales

· BBC Sport
Millie David has long been tipped to make the step up to England's senior side after appearing for the under-20sGetty Images

By
Mike Henson
BBC Sport rugby union news reporter
Published

Bristol Bears wing Millie David will win her first international cap against Wales in the Women's Six Nations on Saturday as England shake up their selection once more.

David has been rewarded for her fine form in the PWR as England continue to search for a long-term back-three combination in the wake of World Cup winner Abby Dow's retirement.

The 20-year-old, who also qualifies for Australia through her father, finished joint top of the English top flight's try-scoring standings last season and has shone despite her club's disappointing campaign.

Claudia Moloney-MacDonald is on the other wing with Ellie Kildunne, who scored two tries from the wing against Scotland, restored to her usual full-back role.

"I paused for a long time because I couldn't really get any words out," David said of her reaction to head coach John Mitchell telling her she would be making her debut.

"I just said 'thank you so much' over and over. I wanted to say a lot, but I couldn't get anything out because there were a lot of emotions going through my head."

David, who has been included in several previous England camps without appearing for the Red Roses, said that she has never been invited into the Wallaroos camp and there was only ever an outside chance of pursuing the possibility of representing Australia.

"Growing up it's always going to be in the back of your mind, you don't know what your future is going to look like," she added.

"But the Red Roses is something I've been passionate about for a while. When I first started watching rugby when I went to college, it was the Red Roses I was watching, it was Ellie Kildunne I was watching.

"So, although it is cool to have options, I have been pretty focused on how I can develop in the Red Roses pathway."

England v Wales

Women's Six Nations

Saturday 25 April, 14:15 BST

Ashton Gate, Bristol

Watch on iPlayer

Live on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website and app

Elsewhere, England are down to a near fourth-choice second row combination, with Lilli Ives Campion, who has suffered a knee injury, becoming the latest lock to be sidelined.

Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan are all pregnant, while Morwenna Talling has been ruled out of the tournament with a leg injury sustained in the opening-weekend win over Ireland.

Abi Burton, a back row, and Delaney Burns, who won the most recent of her three previous caps back in 2023, will be paired in the engine room.

The fly-half shirt changes hands once more with Holly Aitchison back in at 10 in place of rival Zoe Harrison.

Props MacKenzie Carson and Sarah Bern are promoted off the bench and into the starting line-up along with 113-cap flanker Marlie Packer.

Despite the disruption and debuts, England's strength in depth is likely to be enough to see off a Wales side who have finished bottom of the table in the past two Six Nations campaigns.

England: Kildunne; David, Jones (capt), Rowland, Moloney-MacDonald; Aitchison, L Packer; Carson, Cokayne, Bern, Burton, Burns, Kabeya, M Packer, Feaunati.

Replacements: Powell, Clifford, Muir, Lutui, Short, Robinson, Harrison, Breach

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