Loughborough Lightning have named an unchanged starting line-up for their final match of 2024, away at Sale Sharks this weekend.
Head coach Nathan Smith has kept faith with the side that secured a try-scoring bonus point in defeat to Harlequins for Saturday’s Premiership Women’s Rugby Round 11 showdown at the CorpAcq Stadium (kick-off: 2pm).
The only change to the matchday 23 is among the replacements as loosened prop Amelia Williams returns in place of Isla Curphey, who was stretchered from the field last week with a serious leg injury.
Alev Kelter and Emily Scarratt, who made a combined 127 metres last time out against Quins on their way to both being included in the PWR team of the round, start together in the centres for a fourth consecutive game.
Hooker Kathryn Treder recorded the league’s highest tackle count in Round 10 with 25, and added a 13th try in 20 Lightning games too. She retains her place alongside props Anne Young and Laura Keates in an all-international front row.
Flanker Sadia Kabeya, fresh from scoring her 15th try for Lightning, moves within one appearance of a half-century in an African Violet shirt as she packs down at openside flanker.
Number eight Daisy Hibbert-Jones moves to within two appearances of the same milestone as she makes her 22nd consecutive league start and co-captains against her former club.
Lightning won last season’s corresponding fixture at Heywood Road a little over a year ago and have come out on top in the four head-to-heads the clubs have had already in 2024 across the league, Cup and PWR Up Series.
Head coach Nathan Smith said: “The way we started the Harlequins game and some of the spells we had were a big positive, and it was frustrating for us not to come away with the result we wanted.
“But we have got one last chance to put together a winning performance at Sale this weekend and we’re excited by that challenge. We know Sale will also be throwing everything at this game and know we are going to have to fight for everything up in Manchester to come away with the points.”
SALE SHARKS vs LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING
Premiership Women’s Rugby, Round 11
Saturday 21 December, 2024
Kick-off: 2pm
15 Francesca Goldthorp
14 Bulou Mataitoga
13 Emily Scarratt
12 Alev Kelter
11 Krissy Scurfield
10 Helen Nelson (cc)
9 Megan Davey
1 Anne Young
2 Kathryn Treder
3 Laura Keates
4 Abby Duguid
5 Lilli Ives Campion
6 Hallie Taufoou
7 Sadia Kabeya
8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (cc)
Replacements:
16 Elis Martin
17 Amelia Williams
18 Christine Belisle
19 Becky Boyd
20 Kendall Waudby
21 Leia Brebner-Holden
22 Carmela Morrall
23 Lia Green
Unavailable for selection: Emma Wassell, Rachel Malcolm, Cath O’Donnell, Catherine Wells, Ellen Scantlebury, Bo Westcombe-Evans, Helena Rowland, Grace Clifford, Isla Curphey.
SALE SHARKS: 15. Izzy McGuire-Evans*, 14. Sophie Hopkins*, 13. Ellen Ramsbottom, 12. Leah Brough*, 11. Evie Tonkin, 10. Lizzie Duffy, 9. Jess Taylor-Roberts, 1. Amber Schonert, 2. Marion Ridgway, 3. Detysha Harper, 4. Elizabeth Shermer*, 5. Polly Bowman, 6. Morwenna Talling , 7. Jo Brown 8. Jasmine Hazell.
Replacements: 16.Amelia Hyndman*, 17.Jessica Panayiotou*, 18. Alice Iwanejko, 19.Nina Moore, 20. Lucie Sams*, 21.Willow Bell, 22. Minori Yamamoto, 23.Nikita Prothero.
*Sharks debut
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