England’s Talling and Hunt out of Six Nations

Following the 33-12 victory over Ireland, Hunt and Talling rejoined their teammates on the field to celebrate the win. However, the England team’s depleted squad faces another setback with scrum-half Natasha Hunt and second-row Morwenna Talling sidelined for the rest of the Women’s Six Nations championship.

Both players sustained leg injuries during the 33-12 win against Ireland in Twickenham, Saturday, leaving them using crutches post-match. Head coach John Mitchell has chosen to bring in new players rather than immediate substitutes, including Haidee Head, an untested 21-year-old flanker from Trailfinders, and Sydney Gregson, a Saracens player who can play both centre and wing and earned her latest cap in the 2024 Six Nations clash against France.

Hunt was the team’s primary scrum-half during the Rugby World Cup campaign last year, while Talling was expected to play a crucial role in the Six Nations, given that fellow locks Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward, and Rosie Galligan were all expecting children. England has Lucy Packer as a reliable option, who played in the 2022 World Cup final and was chosen over Hunt for the Ireland match. Additional support comes from Flo Robinson of Exeter and the multi-position Claudia Moloney-MacDonald.

Helena Rowland has also trained at nine. With Talling joining those on the sidelines, there is a real dearth of experience at second row. Lilli Ives Campion, who has only six caps, is the most senior of the second-row options in Mitchell’s squad. Nineteen-year-old Haineala Lutui, who usually plays back row, was brought off the bench to replace Talling and win her first cap against Ireland. Bristol duo Demelza Short and Christiana Balogun and Saracens’ Jodie Verghese are also options at second row, but none have yet made their senior England debut.

“We must adapt, we will be a team of back rowers by the end of the tournament,” Mitchell said on Saturday. “If that is the way it is going to be, then so be it. There are different ways to play this game, and if that means using back rowers, then we will make it work.”

England, currently on a 34-match winning streak, faces Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield this weekend. Over 25,000 tickets have been sold, potentially making it the largest crowd for a standalone women’s sports event in Scotland. BBC rugby union analyst Sara Orchard remarked: “This is the closest England has come to a player crisis in the professional era. Losing three lock players to pregnancy and their most experienced second row to injury would be concerning for any other nation, but it’s a test for England. It will gauge their coaching team’s ability and the depth of the Premiership Women’s Rugby league to see how swiftly replacements can adapt.”