England vs Australia: John Mitchell signals strategic shift with Red Roses on World Cup hunt
England face Australia in Brighton this Saturday in a straight shootout for top spot in World Cup Pool A; Jess Breach, Megan Jones and Rosie Galligan retain their places as John Mitchell makes a dozen changes for final group game
Last Updated: 06/09/25 9:24am
As England prepare for their final pool-stage clash against Australia, head coach John Mitchell has signalled a strategic shift in approach for his World Cup-chasing Red Roses.
With passage to the quarter-finals secured with a game to spare, knockout rugby is looming after Saturday's attempt to clinch top spot in Pool A by avoiding defeat to the Wallaroos in Brighton.
Mitchell has once again rung the changes, with only wing Jess Breach, who will win her 50th cap, centre Megan Jones and lock Rosie Galligan retained in the starting XV.
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With knockout rugby on the horizon, the 61-year-old acknowledged England are moving beyond the point of regular rotation.
'Red Roses on a mission to hunt'
"We will still be tactically, technically thinking where we can get advantages, but everything is basically an end point from this point onwards," he said.
"It is not about making wholesale changes; it is about cohesion, and it is about belief that is being built.
"There's two-and-a-half, three years of experience in this group so you have got to put your stamp on it at some point.
"We've really only just got started, so that's the exciting bit. We're on a mission to hunt our next opponent and earn the right to the next stages and that's where our focus is."
Mitchell prefers back-row captain
Alex Matthews will deputise for injured skipper Zoe Aldcroft, captaining the Red Roses for the second time.
Mitchell outlined a preference for having his captain in the back row and close to the referee as he explained his decision for picking number eight Matthews ahead of centre Jones.
"Meg is a brilliant vice-captain (but) there is no rights to captaincy just because you are vice-captain, simple as that," Mitchell, a number eight during his playing days, added.
"You have got one of the best number eights in the world arguably and she has demonstrated excellence for a long period of time and I love leaders that other players can follow through their actions.
"We just happen to have a superhuman that's highly respected and a world-class player that demonstrates her performances through her actions."
Breach urges England to show predatory instinct
Jess Breach says England are determined to show they are "predator" rather than "prey" as she bids to stretch her extraordinary winning record to 50 international matches.
Saracens wing Breach, who scored a hat-trick of tries in last weekend's 92-3 demolition of Samoa, will bring up a half-century of caps against Australia in Brighton.
Remarkably, the 27-year-old has never suffered defeat at Test level, winning all 49 of her previous outings, beginning with a stunning six-try debut against Canada in 2017.
"We know we get hunted by every team - every team wants to beat us, so we want to turn it around and say we're hunting them," said Breach.
"We don't want to be people's prey, we want to be the predator, and go at them and show them what we can do."
Mitchell: Red Roses leaving lasting legacy
As England's campaign intensifies, Mitchell is looking beyond the tournament to the lasting impact the Red Roses are already having on the women's game.
The 61-year-old praised his players' commitment to inspiring others and acknowledged the potential effect on England's talent pool at future World Cups for years to come.
"It's definitely something we're used to - the girls are genuinely good at it," Mitchell said. "They recognise where they come from, and they understand how important it is to give back.
"You just don't know who you're going to influence, do you? I often say to players, when I get the chance to speak to younger people, you never know who's going to cross your path, influence you, or offer you an opportunity.
"That's exactly what the girls are doing right now. There will be some future superstars who go on to represent England as a result of this tournament. All of these things will help grow the game."
Red Roses squad to face Australia
Starting XV: 15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Abby Dow, 13 Megan Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Jess Breach, 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Natasha Hunt; 1 Hannah Botterman, 2 Amy Cokayne, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Rosie Galligan, 5 Abbie Ward, 6 Morwenna Talling, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Alex Matthews (c).
Replacements: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Sarah Bern, 19 Lilli Ives Campion, 20 Maddie Feaunati, 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Holly Aitchison, 23 Helena Rowland.
