by 
Emily Scarratt turns 100th start for English rugby as the Red Roses take on New Zealand in the first match at the renowned Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Veteran center Scarratt is promoted to the starting team in the 13 jersey and becomes only the third Red Rose to reach the milestone of a century of starts after Sarah Hunter and Rocky Clark.
Her elevation is one of five changes to John Mitchell’s squad, with the front row replaced after the win over France and Abbie Ward back fully fit to start at lock. Gloucester-Hartpury flanker Georgia Brock, meanwhile, is set to make her debut on the bench.
Scarratt, 34, returns to an outdoor central square that she has called home for more than a decade. The versatile Loughborough full-back had been considered a 12-year-old option during the Women’s Six Nations, but replaces club colleague Helena Rowland with Meg Jones out due to injury having hit her personal best sprint at the ‘training.
“Everything was planned,” Red Roses coach Mitchell said. “We have two world-class 13s, so Helena [Rowland] I started last week and Emily starts this week.
“Scaz [Scarratt] is a very humble, very professional woman, who goes about things in a very routine way. She supports herself and she would be the first to admit that she wasn’t in her best form and had a lot of problems in the Six Nations.
“I expect her to play very well this weekend and I expect to see her experience shine through.” Reputation doesn’t mean much to me, experience and enthusiasm count for a lot.
The clash will bring together the current world number 1 and world champions with the Black Ferns visiting England for the first time since 2021.
The Red Roses beat New Zealand last November to win the inaugural WXV title, avenging their World Cup final defeat at Eden Park a year earlier. The two sides will meet again at this year’s WXV in Canada.
Former All Blacks coach Mitchell will coach against his compatriots and will relish his first taste of the rivalry at home as coach of the Red Roses.
“The first time I coached against New Zealand was in 1998 against the All Blacks in Dunedin,” Mitchell said. “At the time, it was quite an emotional time for me because I had just left the country.
“Nowadays it’s just professional sport. England is my home. I haven’t lived in New Zealand for 22 years. I don’t get emotionally carried away by it.
“Every opportunity at the Allianz Stadium is really important for us and we know that we will have to earn the right to play a final here in 2025. We want to play here consistently and every time we go out and play here, we want to for perform. We want to do it for the girls.
England will confirm their 30-man squad for WXV on Thursday September 19.
The Red Roses face New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (2:30 p.m. BST, Saturday September 14)
15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 44 caps)
14 Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women, 46 caps)
13 Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 112 caps)
12 Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 23 caps)
11 Jess Breach (Saracens, 39 caps)
10 Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 31 caps)
9 Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 73 caps)
1 Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 16 caps)
2 Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 58 caps)
3 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 62 caps)
4 Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 54 caps)
5 Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 65 caps)
6 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 6 caps)
7 Marlie Packer (Saracens, 105 caps) – captain
8 Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 68 caps)
Substitutes:
16 Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 75 caps)
17 Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 48 caps)
18 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 31 caps)
19 Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 14 caps)
20 Georgia Brock (Gloucester-Hartpury, uncapped)
21 Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 22 caps)
22 Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 50 caps)
23 Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 30 caps)
