Injury concerns for England after ‘special’ winning start for Red Roses
England boss John Mitchell will have to reshuffle his pack again ahead of their trip to Scotland
©Lizzy Terry/TEZ.PHOTOG
On Saturday, the Guinness Women’s Six Nations kicked off with a bang.
The Red Roses opened their title defence with a comfortable 33-12 win over Ireland in front of a record Women’s Six Nations crowd of 77,120 at Allianz Stadium.
It was England’s first match since they were crowned world champions in September, and the victory marked their 34th consecutive win.
While it was not the prettiest performance, John Mitchell’s new-look side will have been pleased to get off to a winning start.
The Red Roses crossed the whitewash five times in total.
A try from hooker Amy Cokayne, along with a brace from the impressive Sarah Bern, saw the reigning world champions take a commanding 21-0 lead into half-time.
England’s dominance continued into the second half, with Ireland struggling to gain any real foothold in the game.
Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach both added their names to the scoresheet, with the latter marking her 54th England cap with her 54th try. She celebrated in style with the trademark cowgirl routine, bringing the crowd to its feet.
Ireland did eventually get on the board, as second-half tries from Anna McGann and captain Erin King gave them something to build on going into their Round Two match against Italy.
Beth’s Takeaways
Haineala Lutui debut
A leg injury to lock Morwenna Talling in the second half was a blow to England, but it allowed Loughborough Lightning emerging talent Haineala Lutui to make her Red Roses debut.
Despite a couple of handling errors, the 19-year-old put in a big shift and carried well.
Lutui, who was playing for Loughborough University last season, has been performing well in Premiership Women’s Rugby and deserved her first cap.
Injury headaches for Mitchell
And Lutui, who usually operates in the back row, could earn further opportunities following the news that Talling is out of the Six Nations.
Four first choice locks are now missing because of injury or pregnancy.
John Mitchell has called up the uncapped Trailfinders' back row Haidee Head while Demelza Short and Christiana Balogun (Bristol) and Saracens' Jodie Verghese are also options.
Lilli Ives Campion, who started on Saturday alongside Talling, has just six caps to her name, so who Mitchell selects in the second row to face Scotland this weekend will be a point of interest.
The England boss could deploy experienced No.8 Alex Matthews at lock as he looks to find a suitable combination.
Elsewhere, scrum-half Natasha Hunt will also miss the remainder of the Six Nations after sustaining a leg injury.
Mitchell has brought in Saracens’ Sydney Gregson, who can play in the centre and on the wing, but the Red Roses still have strong options at nine.
Lucy Packer started against Ireland, and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald also filled in there, while Exeter’s Flo Robinson can make the step up.
Meg Jones leads from the front
Her energy never wavers.
Meg Jones, in her first game as captain, was brilliant and rightly deserved the Player of the Match award.
Her character shone through during the course of the afternoon, bringing control and fizz to the Red Roses.
She made 14 carries and 61 metres in total, and provided a lovely try assist.
Her ability to break through the defensive line numerous times to create some great attacking opportunities for her Red Roses teammates was worth its weight in gold.
Despite acknowledging England weren’t at their best, she still led her team to a crucial bonus-point win.
Stepping into the shoes of World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford is an enviable task, but Jones looks like she could be the perfect fit.
World Cup legacy in all its glory
The atmosphere at Allianz Stadium was second to none.
The buzz and fervour which we witnessed during last year’s World Cup was amplified on Saturday, and it was a spine-tingling moment when both teams walked out at a packed Allianz Stadium.
Over 77,000 fans were all there to support women’s rugby, and it will live long in the memory for everyone who was a part of it.
The tifo, featuring the faces of the Red Roses, was spectacular and a jaw-dropping moment as it was unveiled just before kick-off. Women’s rugby has come a long way.
While it wasn’t a perfect performance by England, with absentees and new combinations disrupting fluency, they still got the win and, more importantly, thousands of fans had the chance to watch their idols play the sport they love.
With England heading to Scottish Gas Murrayfield this weekend [the Guardian’s Sarah Rendell reporting that more than 25,000 fans are expected] and Ireland hosting Scotland at the Aviva in Round Five, there is hope for more encouraging attendance figures at major stadia.
.jpg "England head coach John Mitchell")
