International stars Helena Rowland and Rachel Malcolm return to the Loughborough Lightning starting line-up to face Exeter Chiefs this weekend.
The cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens encounter on Sunday 19 January (kick-off: 3pm) sees Rowland return at flyhalf after six weeks out having been one of five Lightning players involved in England’s first training camp of 2025 earlier this week.
She comes in for Helen Nelson who misses out through injury, while Scotland captain Malcolm earns only her second start of the 2024/25 season having recently making two appearances from the bench after missing ten weeks of action due to an ankle issue.
Head coach Nathan Smith has made four personnel changes and one positional switch in total following last weekend’s defeat to defending Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury at Kingsholm Stadium.
Hooker Elis Martin earns her third start after six consecutive outings as a replacement, while fellow Scot Leia Brebner-Holden makes her first Lightning start that ends the scrum-half’s run of eight-straight substitute appearances since joining the club in October 2024.
Lock Lilli Ives Campion misses out after picking up a knock, her place in the second row is filled by USA Eagles forward Hallie Taufoou, who moves in from the back row.
Emily Scarratt makes her 50th Lightning appearance from the start as she partners Alev Kelter in midfield for an eighth consecutive game.
Fran Goldthorp remains at fullback after returning from her first Red Roses camp, while wingers Krissy Scurfield and Bulou Mataitoga retain their positions as they look to add to the eight tries they’ve scored between them in the last three games.
In the pack, props Laura Keates and Anne Young are partnered for a sixth consecutive game and in the second row, Courtney Holtkamp starts for a second consecutive game and for the first time back at the Gardens following her return to Lightning for a second spell earlier this month.
Daisy Hibbert-Jones, fresh from making her 50th Lightning appearance against Gloucester-Hartpury, makes a 25th consecutive start, doing so as co-captain from number eight on the same back row as openside Sadia Kabeya, who returned to the Red Roses fold this week after missing last Autumn’s WXV due to injury.
Starters against Gloucester-Hartpury Kathryn Treder and Meg Davey are rotated to among the replacements, while Lia Green comes onto the bench which returns to five-three split of forwards and backs.
“This is our penultimate home game of the 2024/25 season so we are focused on putting in a performance that we can be proud of and that entertains people at cinch Stadium,” said head coach Nathan Smith.
“We’ve won two out of our last three games and there’s a confidence among the group. But we know we’re going to have to be at our best to beat an Exeter Chiefs team that have everything to play for.”
On Scarratt’s 50th appearance, Smith added: “We feel very fortunate to have a player and person of Scaz’s quality here at Lightning and we are delighted for her to reach this milestone.
“It is coming up to a year since she returned from a career-threatening injury and I think she is back playing some brilliant rugby and I am looking forward to seeing her continue to drive standards in the final four rounds of the season.”
Tickets are still available for Sunday’s game priced from £7.50* adults and £3* juniors – click HERE to purchase yours!
LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING vs EXETER CHIEFS
Premiership Women’s Rugby, Round 14
Sunday January 18, 2025
Kick-off: 3pm
15 Francesca Goldthorp
14 Bulou Mataitoga
13 Emily Scarratt – 50th Lightning appearance
12 Alev Kelter
11 Krissy Scurfield
10 Helena Rowland
9 Leia Brebner-Holden – First Lightning start
1 Anne Young
2 Elis Martin
3 Laura Keates
4 Courtney Holtkamp
5 Hallie Taufoou
6 Rachel Malcolm (cc)
7 Sadia Kabeya
8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (cc)
Replacements:
16 Kathryn Treder
17 Amelia Williams
18 Christine Belisle
19 Abby Duguid
20 Kendall Waudby
21 Meg Davey
22 Lia Green
23 Carmela Morrall
Unavailable for selection: Emma Wassell, Cath O’Donnell, Catherine Wells, Ellie Roberts, Ellen Scantlebury, Bo Westcombe-Evans, Helen Nelson, Lilli Ives Campion, Grace Clifford, Isla Curphey, Alicia Maude.
Next Home Match
* All tickets are subject to a £1.50 booking fee.
