Hunter returns for Red Roses after ‘not being able to tie laces’
Sarah Hunter, the England captain, will return to international action for the first time in more than a year tomorrow after overcoming a neural injury that left her struggling to complete day-to-day tasks.
The 35-year-old will start as England’s No8 against Italy in their second Six Nations match in Parma, where she earns her 124th cap as Simon Middleton’s side attempt to make it two wins from two in their truncated campaign.
Hunter, who was ruled out of her side’s 54-0 win against Italy that sealed England’s 2020 Grand Slam last November because of a hamstring strain, described the neural issue as the “toughest injury I’ve ever had, based on the fact that nobody knew what it was”.
She added: “I went to see specialists, had numerous MRIS, all sorts of things. You’d go to an appointment hoping for an answer, and there was no answer. I lost power in my hand and it was affecting day-to-day stuff, such as doing my shoelaces, holding things, eating. They begin to have conversations with you around your longterm life, which is quite right, but obviously, as a rugby player, that becomes quite worrying, because you then think, ‘What happens if you don’t get to play?’” Hunter’s return means that the in-form Poppy Cleall, who excelled last week against Scotland, drops to the bench as Middleton makes 10 changes to his starting side. “It wasn’t a difficult decision,” Middleton said of selecting Hunter, “albeit there are some players who have been play
Worrying time: Sarah Hunter has been affected by a neural injury ing outstandingly well, and Sarah knows she has great competition.”
Confirmation that Scotland hooker Molly Wright will miss the remainder of the tournament after being sent off for a high tackle on Vickii Cornborough in England’s 52-10 win last week has prompted Middleton to draft in referee Sara Cox in training to oversee his players’ tackle technique.
“Because of the shortened format of the tournament, you’ve got to get that right. It is something that I know the players are very focused on,” Hunter said.
Middleton has opted for the same half-back pairing of Leanne Riley and Helena Rowland, while Saracens fly-half Zoe Harrison returns to the match-day squad after breaching coronavirus protocols. “It’s a lesson,” Harrison said. “I’m now just focusing on training hard.”
England have a rest week before facing what is most likely to be France on April 24 on the competition’s grand final weekend. The Rugby Football Union is yet to reveal the location for that fixture, with Twickenham out of contention due to the pitch being relayed.
“The goal is for Twickenham to become our home ground,” said Harrison, a Chelsea supporter who watched the England women’s football team playing in front of a record 77,768 crowd at Wembley in November 2019.
“When I saw that, I was like, ‘When are we going to sell out Twickenham?’ We need to be chasing women’s football. Everything they do, we need to be on that.”