Cokayne back as England face Canada threat in Toronto

England welcome back the experienced Amy Cokayne at hooker as their 41-match unbeaten run goes on the line against Rugby World Cup runners-up Canada in Toronto on Friday.

Cokayne has not played Test rugby since scoring the Red Roses' final try in a Grand Slam-sealing win over France in Bordeaux in May.

Saracens' Bryony Field, who has three caps to Cokayne's 94, drops to the bench after deputising impressively in the first half of the WXV Global Series last month.

During that part of the campaign, Canada ended England's near four-year winning streak with a nail-biting 26-26 draw at Sandy Park in Exeter.

Coach Kevin Rouet has targeted victory over the Red Roses as the main aim for Canada in 2026, with his team playing on home soil for the first time in more than 14 months.

Canada also play England in Ottawa on Friday, 23 October, with the two matches branded as the hosts' Rugby Rematch Tour.

The attendance for the Toronto match is expected to exceed 14,000, comfortably beating the previous record for a standalone women's rugby match in North America which was set when 11,453 watched Canada beat the United States in the most recent home match.

Elsewhere in England's line-up, prop Hannah Botterman features after coming on as a replacement in the dramatic win over New Zealand last time out.

With Marlie Packer staying in England as her partner and Red Roses team-mate Rosie Galligan is due to give birth, Abi Burton takes a spot in the back row, while Tatyana Heard's direct running is preferred to Helena Rowland's playmaking ability at inside centre.

Sadia Kabeya, who missed the win over the Black Ferns with a leg injury, is on the bench, alongside Bristol Bears' 20-year-old Demelza Short, who covers second row.

"The first Test in Exeter gave us a valuable opportunity to test our game under pressure and identify where we can improve," England head coach John Mitchell said.

"Playing in Toronto presents a different environment and challenge, and we're excited by the opportunity to express our game, improve our performance and continue to grow as the Red Roses."

England's last loss came in the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in November 2022.

England: Kildunne; Breach, Jones, Heard, Moloney-MacDonald; Harrison, L Packer; Botterman, Cokayne, Bern, Talling, Ives Campion, Burton, Matthews, Feaunati.

Replacements: Field, Carson, Muir, Short, Kabeya, Hunt, Rowland, Sing.