Lucy Packer can be “the difference” for England if she is picked to start against Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final, says 2014 winner Kat Merchant.

The 25-year-old Harlequins scrum-half has featured in all five games at this year’s World Cup, but started in just one – the record-breaking victory against Samoa.

Packer was also brought on as a second-half replacement in Saturday’s semi-final victory against France.

Despite her lack of minutes, Merchant said Packer has done enough to show she should be in the starting 15 against Canada on Saturday.

“It is probably not going to be a popular opinion but I think Lucy Packer, for me, is the difference,” she told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“She brings an incredible speed of ball and if [John] Mitchell is being really brave, I think she starts next week.”

Packer’s inclusion would likely be at the expense of the more experienced Natasha Hunt, who was also part of that 2014 World Cup squad that tasted success over Canada in the showpiece.

Merchant, however, added Hunt could make a much stronger impact from the bench.

“Natasha Hunt coming off the bench, she carves up when she comes off the bench,” she said.

“She brings an energy, she quick-taps, she does everything you need to in the dying seconds of the game.

“Having Lucy Packer steering the ship from the start, that calm but also quick speed of ball could be the shift we need. But, I think it needed to be this game and I would have started her for this game, but I don’t think he (Mitchell) will do it.”

Commentator Claire Thomas agreed with that viewpoint, but later added that she would still start with Hunt due to her big-game experience.

“I thought she looked fantastic when she came on,” said Thomas of Packer.

“It’s not like she’s the Lucy Packer of three years ago where she was thrown with hardly any rugby under her belt into a World Cup final – and on torn angle ligaments by the way.

“If they put her in the mix next week to start at number nine – she is someone that has captained her club, someone that has played in PWR semi-finals.

“She has got a lot of experience now and I think she has a very similar toolkit to Mo Hunt so they can do a very similar job.”