USA Rugby Women’s Eagles Face England

Head Coach Rob Cain has named his match-day 23 to face England’s Red Roses this Friday, Nov. 9 at 2:45 pm ET, LIVE on FloRugby.

Cain has made five changes to the starting XV with four new faces in as reserves and up to three new caps to be awarded overall.

Joanna Kitlinski is at hooker for Katy Augustyn and was activated an injury reserve for Eti Haungatau. She will be joined in the front row by Megan Rom after earning her first cap last week.

Anna Karen Pedraza will start at scrumhalf and Sarah Levy will make her debut at the wing with Kaitlyn Broughton shifting to the fullback. McKenzie Hawkins will also start at center for Kimber Rozier, while the reserves see four new faces.

Jennine Duncan and Melissa Finkelstein have the opportunity to make their own debuts. Capped Women’s Eagles Kristine Sommer and Megan Foster may appear as well for the first time this November.

“We are excited by the challenge that England presents us,” said Head Coach Rob Cain. “They are ranked second in the world and it’s going to be another great experience for us as a group. They will pose lots of different problems for us to solve with their accuracy and it will be up to us to control the space battle and create the pictures we want to see on the pitch.”

The Women’s National Team last faced England at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 where the United States fell to the Red Roses before sealing their place in the Semifinals.

England will play their first match of the November Internationals against the USA, marking the last time they took the pitch as their 33-11 victory over Ireland in the NatWest 6 Nations this year.

Last Saturday against the Black Ferns in Chicago, the Eagles saw 13 players earn their first caps. The U.S. Continues to strive to build a program which emphasizes more opportunities for emerging domestic athletes in the lead-up to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021.

USA Women’s Eagles: 1 Megan Rom (Life U-1) 2 Joanna Kitlinski (Glendale Merlins – 7) 3 Catie Benson (Life West Gladiatrix 15) 4 Stacey Bridges (Beantown 34) 5. Alycia Washington (New York Rugby 15) 6 Rachel Johnson (Oregon Sports Rugby 1) 7. Kate Zackary (C) (San Diego Surfers 7) 8. Jordan Gray-Matyas (Women’s Sevens Residency- 16) 9. Anna Karen Pedraza (Life U 2) 10. Gabby Cantorna (Glendale Merlins 1) 11. Sarah Levey* (New York Rugby -0) 12. McKenzie Hawkins (Lindenwood 1) 13. Emily Henrich (Dartmouth 1) 14. Kelsi Stockert (Women’s Sevens Residency 6) 15. Kaitlyn Broughton (Atlanta Harlequins 1) 16. Joyce Taufa (Lindenwood 1) 17. Azniv Nalbandian (Penn State 1) 18. Nick James (Houston Athletic 4) 19. Melissa Finkelstein* (Glendale Merlins 0) 20. Kristine Sommer [Harlequins (ENG)/ Seattle Saracens 5] 21. Nikki Kenyon (Women’s Sevens Residency/Life West 1) 22. Megan Foster (San Diego Surfers 4) 23. Jennine Duncan* (Seattle Saracens- 0)

U.S. Women’s National Team Staff

Head Coach Rob Cain
Assistant Coach Richard Ashfield
Assistant Coach Kate Daley
Assistant Coach & Team Manager Jamie Burke
Head of Physical Performance Ian Jones
Head Performance Analyst David Gardner
Team Doctor Terrence Cronin
Head Athletic Trainer Bri Arsenault
Assistant Athletic Trainer Katherine Henry

England

Katy Daley-Mclean will earn her 100th international cap for England in the Red Roses’ opening Quilter Internationals Test against USA Women at Allianz Park on Friday (KO 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports Arena).

England Women’s Head Coach Simon Middleton Starting XV will include 4 new caps, with 2 additional potential debutants as reserves.

Saracens prop Ellena Perry starts at loose-head prop with Firwood Waterloo Sarah Beckett at No 8. In the backs, center Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury) and Carys Williams (Loughborough Lightning) start at 12 and 13 respectively.

The team will be captained by Harlequins lock Abbie Scott, as regular team captain Sarah Hunter is a reserve. Wasps scrum-half Claudia Macdonald and Bristol Bears center Lucy Attwood will be looking to make their international debut.

Daley-Mclean will earn her 100th cap. She earned her first England cap against Scotland in 2007, captained England to victory in the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup and went on to represent Team GB in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The 32-year-old starting fly-half, brings considerable experience to the team alongside fellow 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad members Scott, Vicky Fleetwood, Zoe Aldcroft, Lydia Thompson, plus Hunter, Heather Kerr and Vickii Cornborough.

Middleton discussed Daley-Mclean’s milestone 100th cap, saying that “Katy is one of the greatest women’s players ever. It’s a remarkable achievement to get 100 caps for your country, especially considering she took time out in the sevens programme to represent Team GB in the Olympics.

“She has everything; an accomplished skillset, ability and a thorough understanding of the game. Katy is a great asset to England, a natural leader, and an inspirational player. She knows how to inspire a team and is a great on-field motivator.”

England: 1. Ellena Perry (Saracens, uncapped) 2. Lark Davies (Worcester Valkyries, 10 caps) 3. Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins, 2 caps) 4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 6 caps) 5. Abbie Scott (Harlequins, 29 caps) Cap 6. Joanna Brown (Loughborough Lightning, 1 cap) 7. Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens, 65 caps) 8. Sarah Beckett (Firwood Waterloo, uncapped) 9. Leanne Riley (Harlequins, 21 caps) 10. Katy Daley-Mclean (Loughborough Lightning, 99 caps) 11. Kelly Smith (Gloucester-Hartpury, 2 caps) 12. Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, uncapped) 13. Carys Williams (Loughborough Lightning, uncapped) 14. Lydia Thompson (Worcester Valkyries, 38 caps) 15. Sarah McKenna (Saracens, 14 caps) 16. Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, 13 caps) 17. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins, 39 caps) 18. Hannah Botterman (Saracens, 2 caps) 19. Catherine O’Donnell (Loughborough Lightning, 4 caps) 20. Sarah Hunter (Loughborough Lightning, 105 caps) 21. Claudia Macdonald (Wasps FC Ladies, uncapped) 22. Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 5 caps) 23. Lucy Attwood (Bristol Bears, uncapped)

U.S. Women’s National Team Schedule: November Internationals 2018

The Rugby Weekend vs New Zealand (Preview) Sat, Nov. 3 -Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois L 67-6
vs England, Fri, Nov. 9 | 2:45 PM ET, Allianz Park, London, England
vs Ireland, Sun, Nov. 18 | Time TBC, Energia Park, Dublin, Ireland

England 2018 Quilter Internationals

England Women v USA Women – Friday 9 November – Allianz Park, London (KO 7.45pm, Sky Sports Arena)
England Women v Canada Women – Sunday 18 November – Castle Park, Doncaster (KO 2 pm, EnglandRugby.com, England Rugby Facebook and YouTube and Sky Sports Facebook)
England Women v Ireland Women – Saturday 24 November – Twickenham Stadium, London (KO 5.40pm, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports)