Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 continues on Tuesday with the second round of pool matches at Surrey Sports Park and with the opening day nerves out of the way, the hunt for semi final places steps up a gear.
Three matches will be streamed live on rwcwomens.com - France v Scotland, New Zealand v Australia and England v Kazakhstan. For fans in the UK and Ireland, the matches will be streamed live on the website of host broadcasters Sky Sports and available on demand on the official WRWC 2010 website 24 hours later.
With all 12 squads now announced for day two, we preview the matches on a pool by pool basis and for some it is already make or break time.
POOL A
It's the battle of the world champions in Pool A as
three-time defending champions New Zealand take on RWC Sevens
winners Australia. With a touch of Tri Nations rivalry, this is
certainly one of the standout matches of day two.
Both sides are unbeaten after the first round of matches,
with the Black Ferns scoring nine tries in a 55-3 victory over
South Africa - including the tournament's first hat-trick from
wing Carla Hohepa.
Australia beat Wales 26-12 and scored a late fourth try
through Tricia Brown to secure what could be a crucial bonus point
and will be hoping to draw on their Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009
final victory over New Zealand for inspiration.
Wallaroos coach John Manenti has made seven changes for the
trans-Tasman showdown, with Australia Sevens Player of the Year
2009 and IRB Women's Personality of the Year Debby Hodgkinson
starting at number 8 with captain Cheryl Soon replacing Ili
Batibasaga at scrum half.
Tobie McGann completes a new half-back pairing as she
replaces the injured fly half Tui Ormsby, who suffered a fractured
eye socket against Wales, and she firmly believes that their Sevens
triumph could provide the spark to beat the Black Ferns for the
first time.
Black Fern hoodoo
"To be honest Sevens and Fifteens are very
different games but we do have a winning culture now amongst our
team," said McGann.
"Before we've always had to battle the hoodoo of New
Zealand and never being able to beat them but now there's that
core group of players in our team now who have beaten them and
tasted victory in a World Cup."
A new combination in the centres sees Cheyenne Campbell, a
cousin of Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper, start alongside Sharni
Williams, while Se'ei Sa'u has been brought in to
strengthen the Wallaroos' front row at the expense of prop
Caroline Vakalahi.
In the other Pool A match Wales and South Africa get the
day's action underway on Pitch 2 at 12:00 local time and coach
Denver Wannies will be looking for a response from his side after
their loss to the Black Ferns. He makes just one change with
Charmaine Kayser starting on the left wing in place of Phumeza
Gadu.
Wales counterpart Jason Lewis has the task of building on his
team's encouraging display against the Wallaroos and makes four
changes with wing Caryl James and centre Ceri Redman replacing Elen
Evans and Clare Flowers respectively.
Caryl Thomas comes in for Jennifer Davies at prop, while
hooker Lowri Harries gets the nod ahead of Rhian Bowden after
scoring on her debut in Wales' opening match of the tournament.
"We've got a game plan for the South African game
and we have to stick to it. I can't see any reason why we
can't get our campaign back on track with a victory against
South Africa," said Redman.
POOL B
England coach Gary Street makes 11 changes from the starting
line up which registered an impressive 27-0 opening day win over
Ireland and the hosts will be looking to take another step towards
semi final qualification when they take on Kazakhstan at 18:30
local time on Pitch 1.
Captain Catherine Spencer is among those rested, passing the
armband to fly half Katy McLean, while second row Becky Essex,
McLean, Heather Fisher, Fiona Pocock and centre Rachael Burford are
the only players set to start their second successive match.
Charlotte Barras returns having missed the entire RBS
Women's Six Nations through injury, while Michaela Staniford
gets her first start after her late call up to the squad following
Claire Allan's knee injury which forced her out of the
tournament.
"Kazakhstan are a team we have had little experience of
but we do know they will be very physical. They are a hard working
side with some very talented Sevens players so we know it is vital
to play to our potential ahead of this tough and busy week of
rugby," said Street.
World Cup veteran
In their opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup
2010, Kazakhstan went down to a 51-0 defeat to the USA and coach
Valeriy Popov makes seven changes to his starting line-up,
including the selection of 47-year-old Olga Rudoy in the second row
at what is her fifth tournament.
In the other Pool B match Irish number 8 Joy Neville will win
her 50th cap against the USA with coach Philip Doyle keeping faith
with the same starting XV, although Chris Fanning and Caroline
Mahon replace Yvonne Nolan and Carol Staunton on the
replacements' bench.
"Our application was good against England but we will
work on recognising our chances and taking them for this
game," said Doyle.
The USA, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their victory
over Kazakhstan, which saw fly half Christy Ringgebberg in
sensational form on her way to amassing a 26-point haul, including
two tries.
They will also be hoping for a repeat of the result when the
two sides met at the Women's Rugby World Cup in Canada four
years ago, when the Women's Eagles came out on top 24-11.
Kathy Flores makes eight changes, including Maurin Wallace
starting at hooker in place of Lisa Butts and Vanesha McGee
replacing Nathalie Marchino on the wing.
POOL C
A repeat of their last gasp 10-8 win over France in the RBS
Women's Six Nations win would do nicely for Scotland as they
look to bounce back from their opening day 37-10 defeat to Canada.
Scotland won 10-8 at Lasswade earlier this year thanks to
Lucy Millard's last gasp try, and will need a similar outcome
if they are to keep their Rugby World Cup dream alive.
The game kicks off at 14:00 local time on Pitch 1, with
Scotland's Donna Kennedy set to win her 112th cap. Scotland
coach Gary Parker brings flanker Ruth Slaven into the starting XV
from the bench, while Lynsey Douglas comes into the line-up at
centre.
"What happened in February means nothing now. We've
improved, particularly in our fitness levels, since then. And
I'd expect France, who were run close by Sweden in their
opening pool game, will be making changes for our match," said
Parker.
France overcame Sweden in the first round, but needed a try
from Claire Canal 12 minutes from time to ensure a 15-9 victory.
They make six changes to their starting line-up to face
Scotland, with coach Christian Galonnier ringing the changes.
Gaelle Mignot, Celine Barthelemy, Clemence Audebert, Amandine
Vaupre, Aurelie Bailon, Caroline Ladagnous all make their first
starts.
Nothing for granted
In the other match in Pool C, Canada will be taking
nothing for granted when they face Sweden on Pitch 2 at 14:15 local
time, but will look to build on their 37-10 bonus point victory
over Scotland in the opening match of WRWC 2010.
"I think the best thing for us was what a great match
Sweden and France had, and there's just no way we can walk into
either of those games assuming anything," said Canada captain
Leslie Cripps.
After an heroic performance against France, Sweden coach
Jonas Ahl will be relieved that star fly half and captain Ulrika
Andersson-Hall is fit to face Canada after scoring all of her
side's points in that macth.
Ahl makes eight changes for the match with Canada, with six
of those coming in the forwards. Sweden will field an entirely new
front and second row combinations, with Susanne Olovsson, Erica
Engstorm Storckenfeldt, Viktoria Svangren and Anna Larsson coming
in.
There's a change at flanker in Jesscia Berntsson, while
Erica Andersson and Anna Holmstrom are named at wing and centre
respectively.
