Ellie Kildunne has not been selected to play for England’s Red Roses in their Grand Slam decider against France in the 2025 Women’s Six Nations this Saturday at Allianz Stadium.

The reigning World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year and Harlequins full-back had been ruled out of the clash because of a hamstring injury.

Read more: Red Roses squad for the 2025 Womens’s Six Nations

As a result Gloucester Hartpury full-back Emma Sing will gain just her third international start in the winner-takes-all clash in west London against a France team that are also unbeaten coming into the game.

Sing has been the top points scorer in Premiership Women’s Rugby for the past two seasons and has been at the heart of the Circus’ three domestic crowns in a row.

With the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place on home soil this year, just when Kildunne is fit again remains uncertain, with Red Roses head coach, John Mitchell, keen to impress that his star player should be fit again this summer.

“She could play, it’s just something we need to make sure we get right,” Mitchell said. “(The thought process has been) let’s not lose her as a result of stretching it any further and let’s back our squad.

“Emma’s a world class full-back. She has been the best in the PWR. It gives us a chance to adapt and another chance to deal with a situation that might occur down the track so we’re more than confident to make that decision.

“Ellie will be back into it in June, there should be no restrictions when it comes to June.”

Should the Red Roses win on Saturday afternoon they will secure an unprecedented seventh Six Nations title in a row. With their 59-7 win over Scotland at Mattioli Woods Welford Road a week ago, England have now won 33 Six Nations matches in a row.

Due to play in front of a large crowd at Allianz Stadium, Mitchell hopes that the atmosphere and must-win nature of the fixture can provide a valuable learning experience for his team.

“This opportunity at the weekend is like playing knockout football at the World Cup,” he said.  “These are the stages you want to get to, and the girls have worked hard to present this opportunity. It just happens to be our home tournament that’s really really important to us and a tournament that we have set the standard in. 

“When you set the standard, people chase you and want to meet that standard.”

Sing is installed in the back three alongside the tournament’s joint-top try-scorer Abby Dow and Claudia MacDonald. Tatyana Heard is recalled to start at inside centre alongside Megan Jones, while Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison are the half-back partnership.

In the pack Zoe Aldcroft captains the team from blindside flanker. Maddie Feaunati is named at openside and Alex Matthews starts at No.8. Hannah Botterman, Lark Atkin-Davies and Maud Muir form the front-row, and Morwenna Talling and Abbie Ward continue their second row partnership.

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