Sing Or Rowland - Who Should Replace England Star Kildunne?

Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final: England v Scotland

Venue: Ashton Gate, Bristol Date: Sunday, 14 September Kick-off: 16:00 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC One and iPlayer from 15:30 BST, perceive connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; travel matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app.

Filling nan shoes of a subordinate voted nan champion successful nan world is simply a task of nan highest order.

Ellie Kildunne will miss England's Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final pinch Scotland connected Sunday aft showing concussion symptoms against Australia.

The full-back had to spell disconnected early successful nan 2nd half, but nan Red Roses coped without their prima player, winning 47-7 aft overcoming a sticky opening period.

However, it is now knockout rugby and location is nary separator for error.

England caput coach John Mitchell has prepared for astir each World Cup eventuality crossed nan past 2 seasons, pinch his broadside beating France without Kildunne successful April to seal a 4th consecutive Women's Six Nations Grand Slam.

Mitchell said past that Kildunne's insignificant hamstring wounded was nan cleanable opportunity for nan inexperienced Emma Sing to measurement successful for a crippled of due significance.

Sing, who was nan apical points scorer successful past season's Premiership Women's Rugby convention for champions Gloucester-Hartpury, scored 2 tries successful a thrilling 43-42 win.

But wide it was a mixed capacity from nan 24-year-old. Sing felt nan unit of a large occasion, and mistakes were made.

"To measurement into a Grand Slam decider astatine Allianz Stadium and execute nan measurement she did was amazing," Kildunne said successful July. "People will beryllium critical, but if you watch my games backmost I make a load of mistakes.

"It happens and is rugby. You can't comparison 1 subordinate to different arsenic everyone plays differently."

Even Kildunne, who was voted World Rugby women's subordinate of nan twelvemonth successful November, has disconnected days, pinch Mitchell saying she would "be disappointment because she had a difficult time astatine nan office" aft a mates of uncharacteristic first-half errors against Australia.

Sing featured disconnected nan chair successful England's opening triumph against nan United States successful Sunderland and played successful nan record triumph complete Samoa.

Her dead-eye kicking for nan posts is simply a large strength, but that is improbable to beryllium needed against Scotland fixed nan shape of fly-half Zoe Harrison.

Kildunne and Sing are nan 2 master full-backs successful nan squad, but pinch only 12 caps, nan Gloucester-Hartpury kicker remains inexperienced astatine nan highest level.

Dropping successful astatine first-receiver and being an other playmaker is simply a accomplishment that Sing has continued to create nether Mitchell, pinch her moving crippled besides much evident.

Utility backmost Helena Rowland was England's starting full-back astatine nan World Cup successful 2022 earlier an wounded ruled her retired of nan final, which Kildunne started and scored in.

An awesome grounds 27 points from fly-half against Samoa and a superb capacity disconnected nan chair from full-back erstwhile Kildunne went disconnected connected Sunday mightiness sway nan determination successful Rowland's favour.

Covering aggregate backline positions connected nan chair has been Rowland's regular domiciled nether Mitchell, but pinch 43 caps and a World Cup semi-final commencement astatine full-back, nan 25-year-old looks much polished than Sing for knockout rugby.

"If I was coach, I'd prime Helena Rowland," erstwhile England helping Ugo Monye told nan BBC's Rugby Union Weekly. "We cognize that a high-performing squad needs nan spine of nan squad to execute really well.

"She's 1 of nan astir understated world-class players astatine this tournament. The biggest compliment I tin springiness her is she makes everyone look truthful overmuch better. Everyone functions truthful overmuch amended astir her.

"She's truthful easy to activity pinch and being truthful ascendant astatine 15 it takes unit disconnected her wingers, whether that is Jess Breach, Abby Dow aliases Claudia Moloney-MacDonald."

Former England fly-half Katy Daley-McLean besides feels Rowland is nan earthy fresh to switch Kildunne connected Sunday.

Defensively, wherever Sing has sometimes struggled, Rowland thrived against Australia.

One specified infinitesimal was during nan 2nd half erstwhile she made a superb tackle connected Wallaroos' helping Maya Stewart, contempt being isolated retired wide and up against a subordinate pinch greater pace.

"England want to take sides precocious which near her [Rowland] really vulnerable," Daley-McLean added.

"I thought Helena was really good. Ellie won't beryllium playing truthful it gives them an opportunity to spot Emma Sing successful there, but I can't spot her featuring further successful nan semi-finals aliases nan final."

If Kildunne, who turned 26 connected Monday, comes done her mandatory minimum 12-day stand-down play without showing further concussion symptoms, she will beryllium fresh for a imaginable semi-final connected Saturday, 20 September.

However it pans out, Mitchell has options astatine his disposal.