Jess Breach and full-back Emma Sing complete the back three alongside Rowland.
Having initially been named to start, Rosie Galligan is replaced by Abbie Ward to help her recovery from a shoulder problem.
Similarly, centre Tatyana Heard has a spot on the bench after Holly Aitchison reported a slight ankle issue.
“I am not going to play anyone injured,” said Mitchell. “The tournament hasn’t even started.”
Zoe Aldcroft, Sadia Kabeya and Abby Dow are also among the replacements.
England’s meeting with Spain, ranked 13th in the world, is the first of two warm-up matches before the World Cup.
They will also face France next weekend in Mont-de-Marsan, where Mitchell is likely to field something close to a first-choice team.
England’s formidable strength in depth – with players honed in their world-leading PWR competition – could prove key to how they fare in this campaign.
They take on the United States in the tournament opener in Sunderland on 22 August.
England: Sing; Rowland, Jones, Shekells, Breach; Harrison, L Packer; Clifford, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Ward, Campion, Burton, M Packer (capt) Feaunati.
Replacements: Campbell, Botterman, Muir, Aldcroft, Kabeya, Hunt, Heard, Dow
