England v Canada: Maisy Allen set to make first start in much-changed Red Roses team
Written by I Dig SportsEngland flanker Maisy Allen will make her first Test start in a much-changed side to play Canada on Saturday.
Interim head coach Louis Deacon makes nine changes to his starting XV which beat Canada 50-24 last weekend.
Allen, 22, scored off the bench in her England debut at Sandy Park, in the first match of a two-Test series.
Centre Megan Jones, who also came off the bench on Saturday, starts for the first time following her time with Great Britain's women's sevens team.
"Maisy has come into this environment and she has gone around her business phenomenally, the work she puts in away from training and the work she does in training is great," captain Marlie Packer, who moves from flanker to number eight for the game, said.
"The reward of her starting this week is we will get to see the Maisy we all see week in and week out in the league.
"She is part of our leadership group this weekend on the pitch, we want to push ourselves as players but the younger ones around us too."
The second Test match against Canada offers an opportunity for more players to stake a claim to make Deacon's 30-player squad for the WXV tournament launching in October.
Leicester Tigers' Jones will partner Bristol Bears' Amber Reed in a new-look midfield.
It is a new front row with Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir all returning to the side, with Gloucester-Hartpury's Sarah Beckett moving from her usual position of number eight into the second row.
Saracens' Sophie Bridger, who scored 14 tries in all competitions last season for Gloucester-Hartpury, could also make her debut from the bench.
Scrum-half Natasha Hunt comes in for Harlequins' Lucy Packer, who scored in last weekend's victory and wing Claudia MacDonald replaces Abby Dow in the final changes to the backline.
Line-up
England team to play Canada: Kildunne; Breach, Jones, Reed, MacDonald; Aitchison, Hunt; Botterman, Cokayne, Muir, Aldcroft, Beckett, Talling, Allen, Packer (capt).
Replacements: Powell, Carson, Bern, O'Donnell, Galligan, Packer, Bridger, Dow.