England vs Samoa
Kickoff: 5pm, Saturday 30th August
Venue: Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Watch on: BBC TWO
After a successful opening game against the USA, England are expected to repeat that feat against Samoa this weekend. The side that will be taking on that challenge will look very different when compared to the one that beat the USA. John Mitchell has made 13 changes to last week's team as the squad depth is used for a game that should end with an emphatic English victory. Megan Jones and Jess Breach are the only players who have stayed in the starting XV. Any combination of players in the England squad should dominate against Samoa but, if things do go wrong, the bench is stacked with world-class talent that could rescue England if the unthinkable occurs. The likes of Ellie Kildunne, Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison will come in later in the game to exploit a tiring Samoan defence. In the pack, Maud Muir and Sadia Kabeya will have maximum impact when they enter the game against Samoa's much weaker bench.
The good news for England is the return of Helena Rowland at fly half after recovering from injury which means that England now have more than one fit fly half in the squad. The bad news from this week is an injury to Zoe Aldcroft which means that the Red Roses will be without their captain for the remainder of the pool stage.
Samoa, meanwhile, have also made multiple changes. In total, 6 changes have been made as they look to avoid a similar fate to the one suffered in the first round of fixtures against Australia. Three of those changes have been made in the front five in order to give Samoa more of a foothold in the game in the early stages against an English scrum that was ominous against the USA.
Team news
England
Starting XV
1.Kelsey Clifford 2.Lark Atkin-Davies 3.Sarah Bern 4.Lilli Ives-Campion 5.Rosie Galligan
6.Abi Burton 7.Marlie Packer 8.Maddie Feunati 9.Lucy Packer 10.Helena Rowland
11.Claudia Moloney-MacDonald 12.Jade Sheckells 13.Megan Jones(C) 14.Jess Breach 15.Emma Sing
Bench
16.May Campbell 17.Mackenzie Carson 18.Maud Muir 19.Morwenna Talling
20.Sadia Kabeya 21.Natasha Hunt 22.Zoe Harrison 23.Ellie Kildunne
Samoa
Starting XV
1.Denise Aiolupotea 2.Faith Nonutunu 3.Glory Aiono 4.Christabelle Onesemo-Tuilaepa 5.Demielle Onesemo-Tuilaepa
6.Utumalama Atonio 7.Sui Pauaraisa 8.Nina Foaese 9.Ana Afuie 10.Harmony Vatau
11.Linda Fiafia 12.Fa'asua Makisi 13.Keilamarita Pouri-Lane 14.Davina Lasini 15.Karla Wright-Akeli
Bench
16.Cathy Lulu Leuta 17.Ti Tauasosi 18.Tori Iosefo 19.Ana-Lise Sio
20.Madisen-Jade Jamie Iva 21.Saelua Leaula 22.Taytana Pati Ah-Cheung 23.Michelle Curry
USA vs Australia
Kickoff: 7:30pm, Saturday 30th August
Venue: York Community Stadium
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
This is the game of the weekend. Two familiar foes will face off in York in a game which will realistically determine who progresses to the knockout phase of this tournament. The two sides have faced each other every year since 2022 in the Pacific Four Series. In those four games, with both sides winning 2 games each. Their most recent encounter, in May earlier this year, finished 27-19 to Australia which will give the Wallaroos plenty of confidence going into the fixture.
Sione Fukofuka has made a few changes to his side. Georgie Perris-Redding misses out having failed a head injury assessment after being knocked down by Megan Jones. She has been replaced in the starting XV by Freda Tafuna which means that Kate Zackary will move to openside flanker. Elsewhere in the pack, Tahlia Brody has been replaced by Hallie Taufo'ou in the second row.
In the backs, Olivia Ortiz has dropped to the bench and has made way for Cassidy Bargell. This decision looks like one that has been made with the intention of having an abundance of experience on the pitch in the final stages of the game. Ortiz will be crucial to any success that the USA will have if the game is tight after the first hour. Alev Kelter is also out of the team which means that Emily Heinrich will move inside to centre. Both wingers are different; Erica Coulibaly and Cheta Emba will start.
Australia look to have employed a similar tactic to the USA and are keeping a couple of experienced stars on the bench for the final stages. Ashley Marsters and Tia Hinds will look to make an impact. Australia are yet to be tested in the same way that the USA has so they'll need to get up to speed quickly in a game of this magnitude.
Australia's set-piece was impressive against Samoa but it will be under much more pressure in this game. For the USA, the big question is about their ability to be clinical. Particularly in the first half, they matched England in a lot of key areas but couldn't do anything with it. If they can be more clinical, the USA will be confident of victory on Saturday.
Team news
USA
Starting XV
1.Hope Rogers 2.Kathryn Treder 3.Keia Mae Sagapolu 4.Hallie Taufo'ou 5.Erica Jarrell-Searcy
6.Freda Tafuna 7.Kate Zackary(C) 8.Rachel Johnson 9.Cassidy Bargell 10.McKenzie Hawkins
11.Erica Coulibaly 12,Emily Heinrich 13.Ilhona Maher 14.Cheta Emba 15.Lotte Sharp
Bench
16.Paige Stathopoulos 17.Alivia Leatherman 18.Charli Jacoby 19.Rachel Ehrecke
20.Tahlia Brody 21.Olivia Ortiz 22.Gabriella Cantorna 23.Sariah Ibarra
Australia
Starting XV
1.Faliki Pohiva 2.Tania Naden 3.Bridie O'Gorman 4.Kaitlan Leaney(CC) 5.Michaela Leonard
6.Piper Duck 7.Emily Chancellor(CC) 8.Tabua Tuinakauvadra 9.Samantha Wood 10.Faitala Moleke
11.Desiree Miller 12.Cecilia Smith 13.Georgina Friedrichs 14.Maya Stewart 15. Caitlyn Haise
Bench
16.Katalina Amosa 17.Lydia Kavoa 18.Eva Karpani 19.Annabelle Codey
20.Ashley Marsters 21.Layne Morgan 22.Trilleen Pomare 23.Tia Hinds
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