England's Women's Six Nations title defense has been dealt a significant blow with the confirmation that scrum-half Natasha Hunt and second row Morwenna Talling will miss the remainder of the tournament due to leg injuries sustained during Saturday's 33-12 victory over Ireland at Twickenham.
Both players were seen leaving the stadium on crutches, adding to an already concerning shortage of experienced players in the squad. Head coach John Mitchell has responded by calling up uncapped 21-year-old back row Haidee Head and versatile back Sydney Gregson, who last featured for England in the 2024 Six Nations against France.
Hunt, England's first-choice scrum-half during last year's World Cup-winning campaign, leaves a significant void in the lineup. However, the team still has options at the position, including Lucy Packer—who started the 2022 World Cup final—alongside Flo Robinson and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald. Helena Rowland has also been training at scrum-half.
The situation is more critical at second row, where Talling's absence exacerbates an existing crisis. With fellow locks Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward, and Rosie Galligan all pregnant, England now face a severe lack of experience in the position. Lilli Ives Campion, with just six caps, is the most seasoned second row remaining in the squad.
Mitchell may need to get creative with his selections, potentially deploying back-row players like Alex Matthews or Maddie Feaunati in the second row. Feaunati addressed the possibility, saying:
"The situation we are in is crazy with three second rows pregnant—massive congratulations to them, we are all super happy—and with poor Morwenna going out at the weekend. We just need to get around the team and adapt together."
Mitchell himself joked after the Ireland match that his side might become "a team of back rowers" by the tournament's end.
Despite the setbacks, England remain the world champions and are riding a 34-match winning streak. Their next challenge comes this Saturday when they face Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, where over 25,000 tickets have already been sold for what promises to be a major showdown.