Club captain Rachel Malcolm will make her 50th league appearance as she returns to Loughborough Lightning’s starting XV this weekend, with the side preparing to close out the Allianz Premier 15s season in Northampton.
The Scotland international provides the only change to Rhys Edwards’ starting line-up to take to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday, with third-placed Saracens the visitors.
The clash will mark the last outing in African Violet for prop Katie Trevarthen before she takes a step back from playing to join Loughborough’s coaching set up, with hooker Bryony Field and tighthead Christine Belisle joining her in the front row.
Lilli Ives Campion and Morwenna Talling partner in Lightning’s second row for the fourth week running, while Sadia Kabeya – fresh from signing a new contract with the Club alongside Helena Rowland and Cath O’Donnell – joins incoming Malcolm and No.8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones in the back row for the last clash of the season.
And Loughborough remain otherwise unchanged in the backs, with Megan Davey and Red Roses’ Rowland steering the ship from half-back.
Scotland international Helen Nelson co-captains the side with Malcolm from inside centre, with Emma Hardy, Carys Williams-Morris, Bo Westcombe-Evans and Bulou Mataitoga rounding off the starting XV.
And there’s room amongst the replacements for England’s O’Donnell, while Scotland’s Leah Bartlett is set to make her final appearance in a Lightning shirt before moving onto pastures new from the bench.
The Club will bid a fond farewell to its departing players after the full-time whistle, with supporters welcomed onto the pitch for Lightning’s Leavers’ Ceremony – please CLICK HERE for more information.
LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING vs SARACENS
Saturday 3 June, 2023
Allianz Premier 15s
Kick-off: 2pm
15 Bulou Mataitoga
14 Bo Westcombe-Evans
13 Emma Hardy
12 Helen Nelson (c)
11 Carys Williams-Morris
10 Helena Rowland
9 Megan Davey
1 Katie Trevarthen
2 Bryony Field
3 Christine Belisle
4 Lilli Ives Campion
5 Morwenna Talling
6 Rachel Malcolm (c)
7 Sadia Kabeya
8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones
Replacements:
16 Phoebe Andrews
17 Leah Bartlett
18 Grace Clifford
19 Cath O’Donnell
20 Sara Svoboda
21 Sally Williams
22 Jess Weaver
23 Georgina Tasker
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