As richly rewarding a competition as it may be, the start of the Women’s Six Nations can sometimes be an exercise in finding new ways to ask the same old questions. For several years now, we have yearned for a challenger to rise to take on the Red Roses, to meet the might of rugby’s most dominant side, but six editions into their tournament monopoly, the prospect of a non-English winner has never felt more distant.
That is not, at all, the fault of John Mitchell and his side, whose relentless pursuit of greatness, and the World Cup crown that eludes them, is evidenced by a switch of captain in what may prove a defining year. But it does mean that the lines of enquiry required when talking to the best and the rest are subtly different.
For instance, after unveiling his side to face Italy in York on Sunday at a Twickenham pub, Mitchell was probed on how he would weight lopsided scorelines in the selection shake-up for a World Cup which is now hurtling into view. The enviable squad depth possessed by England creates unenviable headaches for their head coach, as many as 40-45 worthy players having to be narrowed to be 32 come the ultimate prize in August and September.
Narrowing down one’s options when you may not face a true test until the meeting with France on the final Saturday will not be easy. If that feels dismissive of England’s opposition, it is worth remembering that the Red Roses have won 50 of their last 51 games (with that harrowing World Cup final defeat the lone exception) and not lost on home soil in this tournament for a decade.
“There’s enough sprinklings of playing teams that have put us under pressure.” Mitchell suggested, while also explaining how internal competition will be key in continuing to drive world-leading standards. “We want to throw some punches in 2025, but I’m sure we’re going to get a few punches as well in the next few weeks. So, it’s important that we learn from that as well.
“The girls have got beyond that stage of being selfish [over selection]. Basically, we’ve got to use it to our advantage. It’s a huge advantage. It’s healthy. There’s competition, there’s chasing. And the Red Roses have never been a team that waits. We’ve always been a team that looks to raise the bar early and set the standard. And if you don’t have competition, you don’t have people chasing each other, then how do you push and raise the bar?”
England were spooked somewhat by a narrow win over Canada at WXV in the autumn, eventually finding a way to win but producing their worst performance by a distance under Mitchell. Having embraced an uber-expansive style in 2024, opening up their attacking game, a subtle shift in the language of the head coach suggests he desires his side to play more maturely and pick their moments, particularly when the pressure comes.
“It’s important to realise that we’re going to need two teams to operate this year,” he said, having given Helena Rowland a first international start at fly half for three years. “I think we’ve had nines and tens in the past two years that have probably been outstanding rugby players in the world. But this year we’re looking towards having nines and tens being the best decision-makers in the world.”
There is a school of thought that a defeat in the course of this competition would not be the worst thing for England, focussing the mind and encouraging a side that has sometimes struggled with adversity to learn how to deal with defeat. Rowland and wing Jess Breach, among others, have never lost in an England shirt; for those involved in the Gloucester-Hartpury dynasty, like captain Zoe Aldcroft, losses are few and far between at club level, too.
A grand slam nonetheless feels likely to come but there is reason for optimism around the rest of the participants. For a Wales side seemingly in perpetual turmoil, the arrival of Sean Lynn fresh from completing a Gloucester-Hartpury three-peat is most welcome news – the right man at the right time for a squad needing an arm around the shoulder. Lynn only properly started in his role on Monday after the conclusion of the club season but his opening selection is eye-catching, with new roles for No 8 Georgia Evans and inside centre Kayleigh Powell, one of the finds of the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season as a freewheeling fly half for Harlequins.
The snippets and snatches shown to the world from Wales camp have seen Lynn referring repeatedly to “the family” like some kind of mild-mannered mafioso –having fostered such a rich culture at club level, it is clear he is attempting to generate the same collective buy-in.
Ireland, too, look to have the right man at the helm. A few eyebrows were raised when Scott Bemand was appointed in 2023, but the former England coach has calmed some qualms in Irish rugby and begun to assemble a side of serious threat. The breakthrough win over New Zealand at WXV was evidence of how rich the talent pool is – Aoife Wafer is rapidly becoming a top-class back row, and Dannah O’Brien is high on potential at fly half.
Scotland, meanwhile, seem as settled as ever, and should be targeting a top-three finish having let winnable games against both Wales and Ireland slip in the last two years to place in the bottom half. It feels like the Six Nations’ nearly-women have a real statement showing in them. Italy, likewise, are ever dangerous – new coach Fabio Roselli has been handed his first job in the women’s game but did solid work under-the-radar with Zebre.
As ever, meetings between the quartet may be more interesting than those involving the top two – until another tasty Test at Twickenham on 26 April. One must question again whether France are maximising the talent available to them, though overdue development of the Elite 1 Feminine may, in time, provide a genuine alternative to PWR for the world’s top players. Can they close the chasm opening up between the best and the rest? With bigger battles to come later this year, England would probably relish a little bit more competition.
Article courtesy of
Source link
