Rugby: Portia Woodman returns from lengthy test absence to boost Black Ferns against England

Portia Woodman has been named as one of six changes to the Black Ferns side to take on England in the second test in Northampton on Monday (NZ time).

Woodman returns from injury to play her first test since the 2017 Rugby World Cup final, as the Black Ferns look to bounce back from last week's record defeat against the English, when they were dispatched 43-12 in Exeter.

The 30-year-old cross-format star played a key role in the Black Ferns' 2017 Cup triumph and most recently powered the Black Ferns Sevens side to gold at the Tokyo Olympics in July.

Fullback Cheyelle Robins-Reti will make her test debut in the run-on side, while prop Amy Rule and lock Maia Roos are poised to earn their first caps off the bench.

Up front, hooker Grace Houpapa-Barrett will make her first test start, Joanah Ngan-Woo moves into lock and Liana Mikaele-Tu'u dons the No. 8 jersey in place of the injured Dhys Faleafaga.

With the rust of a two-year test absence now shaken off, coach Glenn Moore says he expects a much more accurate and disciplined performance - particularly at setpiece - in the rematch with their hosts.

"We were put under the pump at the lineout and that limited the platform we had to work off so a lot of effort has gone into that this week," Moore says.

"Also, the breakdown is an area we usually pride ourselves on and that was rusty too, so there has been some honest conversations around how we need to improve."

Black Ferns: 1-Pip Love, 2-Grace Houpapa-Barrett,  3-Aleisha-Pearl Nelson, 4-Joanah Ngan-Woo, 5-Kelsie Wills, 6-Alana Bremner, 7-Les Elder (c), 8-Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, 9-Kendra Cocksedge, 10-Ruahei Demant, 11-Ayesha Leti-I'iga, 12-Grace Brooker, 13-Stacey Fluhler, 14-Portia Woodman, 15-Cheyelle Robins-Reti

Reserves: Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Aldora Itunu, Amy Rule, Maia Roos, Kennedy Simon, Ariana Bayler, Patricia Maliepo, Carla Hohepa.