Red Roses to benefit from Jamie George's experience ahead of Women's Six Nations match against Wales

Jamie George worked with the Red Roses

Lock Zoe Aldcroft will earn her 50th England cap at Ashton Gate as John Mitchell takes over the England squad.

The Red Roses were helped prepare for Saturday's women's Six Nations rugby match against Wales by a special session with Jamie George.

The England captain was in camp on Wednesday to help England's hooker quartet in the tournament. George had previously worked with Red Roses head coach John Mitchell when the New Zealander was Eddie Jones' assistant and offered to help out.

George, 33, also helped out at Saracens Women when her schedule allowed during her time at the club, and offered her support when Mitchell was appointed to the role last year. "I used to work with Jamie," Mitchell explained after making seven changes to his squad ahead of Saturday's game against Bristol. "He's a good man. He was one of my favorite people when I was in this industry and I've been close to him ever since.

"It wasn't a constraint or a coercion from me. I kept in touch and wished him luck in the Six Nations. When I got this role, he said to me, "When you need help, sing." He was the one who really encouraged him in this situation. We made it work, and I think the girls loved it. "There's good synergy between male and female players in specialized positions. It's not something we do often, but following the nines is probably also from some impactful connections. You will benefit. This is a starting point and it's great."

England defeated Italy 48-0 in the first round despite Sarah Beckett's early sending off and a three-match suspension.

Mitchell named three professional hookers in his women's championship squad: Lark Atkin-Davies, Amy Cockayne and Connie Powell. Mae Campbell was also in the side, covering for the injured Cockayne and working closely with George at Saracens.

The Red Roses will continue to benefit from the support of Brian Ashton, who led England to the World Cup final in 2007, as part of a wider coaching support network to help develop young assistants Sarah Hunter, Lou Meadows and Lewis Deacon. Is receiving. Scrum coach Nathan Catt also looked after England's front row during the tournament.

Lock Zoe Aldcroft will earn her 50th cap at Ashton Gate on Saturday, with Mitchell continuing to assess the team as he changes.

Lock Zoe Aldcroft will win her 50th cap on Saturday

Aldcroft, who was named World Player of the Year in 2021, remains in the second row, with Gloucester team-mate Alex Matthews replacing the suspended Beckett at number eight.

Cool Maud Muir and Rosie Galligan rounded out the top five, with Tatiana Heard and Meg Jones forming a new central partnership alongside Holly Aitchison. Among the changes is center Sydney Gregson, who is preparing to make his first appearance for the Red Roses since 2015 after a series of horrific injuries.

Captain Murray Packer said of Saracens teammate Gregson: "It shows his resilience." “It’s unbelievable for him to come back from injury and fight back and keep knocking on the door.

"Despite her ACL, her performances for Saracens this season show what a great player she is."

Sydney Gregson is set for a long-awaited return to England colours 

Ticket sales for this match are strong, with an expected attendance of around 20,000, which should create a good atmosphere.

Their proximity to the Welsh border should ease travel as Ioan Cunningham's side look to bounce back from a narrow defeat to Scotland. "You don't think about that before the game, but when you get there and start warming up, the stadium really buzzes," Packer added. “I know there will be a lot of noise like this at Ashton Gate. I can feel the hair on the back of my neck falling out and it really makes me feel like I'm in a Test match. The atmosphere should be very good and we will continue to develop it during this tournament.

The Red Roses face Wales at Ashton Gate (4:45pm CET on Saturday 30th March).