Carmela Morrall will make her 50th Loughborough Lightning appearance in Sunday’s Premiership Women’s Rugby trip to tackle Saracens (kick-off: 3pm).
Just a month after turning 21, the inside centre will lead the side out at StoneX Stadium and also extends her run of being the only Lightning player to start all nine league and cup games so far this season.
Head coach Nathan Smith makes six changes to his starting line-up for the trip to north London, and hands a first PWR start to USA international forward Rachel Ehrecke after three appearances as a replacement. The 29-year-old partners Lilli Ives Campion – the league’s leading dominant tackler – in the second row.
Lucia Scott’s try-scoring exploits in her 75-minute contribution as a replacement on the occasion of her Lightning PWR debut against Leicester Tigers last time out have been rewarded with a start at fullback in Round 6.
Elsewhere, the backs division remains unchanged as Fancy Bermudez and Alev Kelter start against their former club, Bo Westcombe-Evans seeks to add to her five tries in four PWR games since her return from injury, and Alicia Maude and Helen Nelson are the half-back pairing for a third consecutive game.
World Cup winning Red Roses flanker Sadia Kabeya returns to the back row after being rotated to the bench last time out, and the league’s most prolific ball carrier. Haineala Lutui, returns to the matchday squad at No.8. The 19-year-old’s selection sees captain Daisy Hibbert-Jones switch to blindside flanker.
The final two changes to the run-out side come in the front row as 20-year-old Lucy Calladine is picked at hooker after scoring her sixth try in eight games this season against Tigers. She packs down alongside Anne Young, who is promoted from the bench, and Mae Sagapolu at tighthead.
Further personnel changes come amongst the replacements as prop Christine Belisile and fly-half/fullback Lia Green are picked. Kathryn Treder, Amelia Williams, Becky Boyd and Tahlia Brody – all starters in Round 5 – await their chance from the bench as do Keevy Fitzpatrick and Meg Davey.
“Carmela is an exceptional talent,” said Smith. “She has only just turned 21 and is hitting 50 Lightning games. She had to bide her time last season with Alev Kelter and Emily Scarratt in the centres. The year before she played a lot so last season might’ve felt a bit like a step back, but I think she’s needed this within her development pathway to learn from Alev, to learn from Scaz, and put herself in her best position for this year.
“She had her best game for Lightning at the end of last season away at Bristol Bears and she hasn’t looked back from there. That started the trajectory of her performances, and we are extremely fortunate to have her within the Lightning programme.”
SARACENS VS LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING
Premiership Women’s Rugby, Round 6
Sunday 7 December, 2025
StoneX Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm
15 Lucia Scott – First Lightning PWR start
14 Fancy Bermudez
13 Alev Kelter
12 Carmela Morrall – 50th Lightning appearance
11 Bo Westcombe-Evans
10 Helen Nelson
9 Lis Maude
1 Anne Young
2 Lucy Calladine
3 Mae Sagapolu
4 Lilli Ives Campion
5 Rachel Ehrecke – First Lightning start
6 Daisy Hibbert-Jones ©
7 Sadia Kabeya
8 Haineala Lutui
Replacements:
16 Kathryn Treder
17 Amelia Williams
18 Christine Belisle
19 Becky Boyd
20 Keevy Fitzpatrick
21 Tahlia Brody
22 Megan Davey
23 Lia Green
SARACENS: 15 Breach, 14 Corrigan, 13 Blacklock, 12 Hardy, 11 Gregson, 10 Harrison, 9 Apps; 1 Crake, 2 Campbell, 3 Clifford, 4 Galligan, 5 Cleall, 6 Omokhuale, 7 Packer, 8 Senft.
Replacements: 16 Field, 17 Tremelling, 18 Rose, 19 McMillan, 20 Evans, 21 Sellors, 22 Bridger, 23 Linkins