Japan vs Spain
Kickoff: 12pm Sunday 7th September
Venue: York Community Stadium
Watch on: BBC iPlayer
Neither of these teams can progress to the next round but that shouldn't discourage anyone from watching this game. Both sides have been impressive against tough opposition and both are capable of winning this match. Spain, in particular, could have a point to prove. Spain used to play Europe's elite on a regular basis but was unceremoniously discarded in favour of including Italy to match the men's Six Nations tournament. Spain competed well against an Ireland team that finished 3rd in this year's Six Nations and a win against Japan would create some proper noise, and perhaps some momentum, in favour of bringing Spain back to the table. I would argue that Spain should already be there, but winning games like this is necessary now if the Spanish are to be taken seriously.
However, this game is not straight forward for the Europeans. Japan has a winning record in their recent encounters having beaten Spain twice in July this year. Those games were won by 13 points and 11 points so Japan should be clear favourites going into it.
Japan has made 3 changes to the side that faced New Zealand. The only change in the pack comes at number 8 with Nduka replacing Saito. The other two changes come at scrum half, whereTsukui is replaced by Abe, and on the wing where Hatada is replaced by Matsumura.
Spain has gone a different route, making 7 personnel changes in the pack with the only player staying in being Ana Peralta Paquet who swaps flanker positions to play at blindside flanker. The backs impressed last week and will go again in this one.
Team news
Japan
Starting XV
1.Sachiko Kato 2.Asuka Kuge 3.Wako Kitano 4.Yuna Sato 5.Otoka Yoshimura
6.Masami Kawamura 7.Iroha Nagata(C) 8.Jennifer Nduka 9.Megumi Abe 10.Ayassa Otsuka
11.Komachi Imakugi 12.Haruka Hirotsu 13.Mana Furuta 14.Misaki Matsumura 15.Sora Nishimura
Bench
16.Kotomi Taniguchi 17.Manami Mine 18.Nijiho Nagata 19.Ayano Sakurai
20.Seina Saito 21.Moe Tsukui 22.Minori Yamamoto 23.Mele Yua Havili Kagawa
Spain
Starting XV
1.Ines Antolinez Fernandez 2.Cristina Blanco Herrera 3.Sidorella Bracic Rodriguez 4.Monica Castelo
5.Lourdes Alameda(C) 6.Ana Peralta Baquet 7.Nerea Garcia Rementeria 8.Alba Capell 9.Anne Fernandez de Corres 10.Zahia Perez
11.Clara Piquero 12.Lea Ducher 13.Claudia Pena 14.Claudia Perez 15.Amalia Argudo
Bench
16.Marieta Roman Mallen 17.Gemma Silva Sierra 18.Mireia De Andres 19.Victoria Rosell Martinez
20.Valentina Lucia Perez Marquez 21.Ariadna Bingbing Vergara 22.Teela Masoko Bueriberi 23.Ana Cortes
New Zealand vs Ireland
Kickoff: 2:45pm Sunday 7th September
Venue: Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium
Watch on: BBC TWO
Both of these sides have already qualified for the quarter-finals but one side is still under significant pressure. New Zealand has won both games comfortably, as expected, but this is the real test. For Ireland, coming second in the group is a success and this game represents a free shot at the defending champions who Ireland knows are beatable. Ireland beat New Zealand last time the sides met in September 2024. That game ended in a 29-27 victory in WXV 1 which will give Ireland plenty of confidence.
New Zealand has an identical front five to the one that started against Japan. The only personnel change in the pack comes in the back row with Mikaele-Tu'u replacing Tukuafu. This change means that Sae moves from number 8 to blindside flanker and Jorja Miller moves from blindside flanker to openside flanker. The back three has the only other change with Katelyn Vahaakolo being replaced by Renee Holmes. Holmes starts at fullback which means that last week's hat-trick hero (Sorensen-McGee) moves to the right wing and Woodman-Wickliffe swaps from the right to the left.
Ireland has six changes from last week. At hooker, Jones replaces Moloney-MacDonald. In the second row, Monaghan is fit, after injuring herself last week, and starts in the second row alongside Ruth Campbell who replaces Corri-Fallon. Much like the Black Ferns, Ireland will have a reshuffle in the back row. Tuite and Boles are replaced by McMahon and Hogan which means that Moore moves to blindside flanker. The other two changes come at scrum half (Reilly replaces Scuffil-McCabe) and on the wing where Parsons replaces McGann
Team news
New Zealand
Starting XV
1.Chryss Viliko 2.Georiga Ponsonby 3.Tanya Kalounivale 4.Maiakawanakaulani Roos 5.Alana Bremner
6.Layla Sae 7.Jorja Miller 8.Liana Mikaele-Tu'u 9.Risi Pouri-Lane 10.Ruahei Demant(C)
11.Portia Woodman-Wickliffe 12.Sylvia Brunt 13.Stacey Waka 14.Braxton Sorensen-McGee 15.Renee Holmes
Bench
16.Vici-Rose Green 17.Kate Henwood 18.Amy Rule 19.Laura Bayfield
20.Kennedy Tukuafu 21.Maia Joseph 22.Theresa Setefano 23.Ayesha Leti-Iiga
Ireland
Starting XV
1.Ellena Perry 2.Neve Jones 3.Linda Djougang 4.Ruth Campbell 5.Sam Monaghan
6.Grace Moore 7.Edel McMahon(C) 8.Brittany Hogan 9.Aoibheann Reilly 10.Dannah O'Brien
11.Amee Leigh-Costigan 12.Eve Higgins 13.Aoife Dalton 14.Beibhinn Parsons 15.Stacey Flood
Bench
16.Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald 17.Niamh O'Dowd 18.Sadhbh McGrath 19.Eimear Corri-Fallon
20.Claire Boles 21.Emily Lane 22.Nancy McGillivray 23,Anna McGann
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