Rugby: Ellie Kildunne dropped to England bench as Emma Sing starts and John Mitchell demands consistency

Ellie Kildunne has been dropped to the England bench for their rematch with Canada, with head coach John Mitchell calling for greater consistency from the full-back.

Emma Sing takes her place in one of four changes to the starting XV after Canada’s 24-21 victory in Toronto ended the Red Roses’ 41-match unbeaten run.

Mia Venner, Helena Rowland and Sadia Kabeya also come into the side for the WXV Global Series meeting in Ottawa.

Why has Ellie Kildunne been dropped?

Mitchell explained the decision in terms of consistency and competition for places, while stressing that England would support Kildunne through a difficult spell.

“Well, firstly it’s undisputed that she adds huge value. She’s just going through a difficult period at the moment,” he said at his pre-match press conference, in comments reported by Sky Sports.

The England coach said Kildunne wanted to become more consistent and backed her to respond. He also made clear that the standards he was asking her to meet applied across the squad.

Kildunne remains among the replacements, giving Mitchell the option of introducing the 2024 World Player of the Year later in the match.

Sing, who plays for Gloucester-Hartpury, gets the opportunity to start at full-back against the side that has troubled England most during this series. Canada also held the world champions to a 26-26 draw in Exeter last month.

England make four changes for Canada rematch

Three of the changes are in the backs, while Kabeya’s inclusion at openside flanker is the only alteration to the starting pack.

Player coming in	Position	Player replaced
Emma Sing	Full-back	Ellie Kildunne
Mia Venner	Wing	Claudia Moloney-MacDonald
Helena Rowland	Inside centre	Tatyana Heard
Sadia Kabeya	Openside flanker	Alex Matthews

Matthews joins Kildunne on the bench. Moloney-MacDonald and Heard are left out of the matchday 23, while Flo Robinson takes the replacement scrum-half place ahead of Natasha Hunt.

Amy Cokayne retains her place at hooker after calling for England to put right the small errors that proved costly in Toronto.

England now have an immediate opportunity to show what they have learned against the same opponents, with Mitchell looking for his side to sustain pressure and take greater control of the contest.

When do England play Canada?

The match takes place at TD Place in Ottawa on Friday 23 October local time.

For UK viewers, England Rugby lists kick-off at 12.10am BST on Saturday 24 October, with live coverage on BBC iPlayer and the England Rugby YouTube channel.

That means staying up on Friday night. Our Canada vs England viewing guide explains the UK watching options.