England fullback Ellie Kildunne ruled out of Women's Rugby World Cup Quarter Final vs Scotland

There was plenty to keep the Red Roses medical team busy in Brighton, with a trio of top England stars taken off for an assortment of injury concerns. Loose-head prop Hannah Botterman was first to be withdrawn, as the Bristol Bears star suffered a muscle spasm in her back after a first half scrum.

Then, England lost both Ellie Kildunne and Morwenna Talling to head injury concerns, as both the fullback and back row stars were permanently replaced following their hard knocks at the American Express Stadium.

Kildunne is set to miss the upcoming quarter-final against the Women's Six Nations rivals, with Mitchell confirming after the match that the Harlequin will go through the regulation 12-day return to play protocols and will sit out on the clash in Bristol next Sunday.

England solidified their dominance over the group with a seven-try win over Australia this past weekend, yet John Mitchell's side by no means had an easy run of things down in Brighton. England were slow to get off the mark against the Wallaroos, as Jo Yapp's side pinned the number one ranked women's team under an abundance of pressure for the opening half hour.

The RFU later confirmed that Kildunne did not undergo a HIA with the intention of returning to the pitch, after being substituted off for Holly Aitchison mid-way through the second half. The Harlequin was removed from play as a precaution and was never tested to return on against Australia. After the match, Mitchell gave an assessment on Botterman and Kildunne, albeit before the official medical review had been looked over by the Red Roses head coach.

“Hans [Hannah Botterman] has got a muscle spasm. I think that will take its course. Ellie [Kildunne] will go through return-to-play protocols.

“There is normally a 12-day stand down. I haven’t checked – I’m just making my own medical assessment. She is fine. She’ll be frustrated because she had a difficult day at the office. She’ll get better.”

After a resiliant showing of defensive fortitude, England held firm with just one try leaked in the first half. The Red Roses battled back to take a 19-7 lead into the break, before running away with the match throughout the second 40 minutes. The Red Roses ran in five unanswered second half scores for a convincing 47-7 win, with England set to face Scotland in Bristol for the quarter-final next weekend. Australia also qualify for the next round and will take on Canada,

After the match, Mitchell was joined by his match-day captain Alex Matthews in the post match press conference, as the Red Roses continue their campaign without regular skipper Zoe Aldcroft. The Gloucester-Hartpury star has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury in the opening round win against the USA, with England's injury list of top stars only continuing to grow following a hard-fought clash on the coast.