MEG JONES leads an England team featuring seven survivors from September’s World Cup final victory over Canada for the launch of their Six Nations title defence.

The Red Roses return to Twickenham Stadium on Saturday to face Ireland with 75,000 tickets already sold for the opener, setting a new attendance record for the Championship.

Jones takes charge for the first time after replacing former captain Zoe Aldcroft, who is pregnant with her first child, and continues at outside centre.

Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach resume in the back three and four forwards who started the 33-13 victory over Canada are present in Amy Cokayne, Morwenna Talling, Sadia Kabeya and Alex Matthews.

Hollie Aitchison and Lucy Packer form the half-backs with Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison providing cover from the bench.

Veteran forwards Hannah Botterman and Marlie Packer miss out on the 23 altogether but 19-year-old number eight Haineala Lutui is set to make her debut as a replacement.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to be returning to Allianz Stadium in front of our fans for the first time since the World Cup final,” head coach John Mitchell said.

“We’ve all felt the lasting impact of 2025 and that’s reflected in the incredible ticket sales for Saturday’s match.

“The players relish and absolutely deserve the opportunity to perform in front of record crowds, but they also understand the responsibility that comes with that stage.

“We know success in this competition is never given – it has to be earned every time. The players are ready to express themselves fully. We cannot wait to get started.”