- England ran in 14 tries in entrance of a Twickenham crowd of 48,778
- England can full a clear sweep by beating France subsequent Saturday
- Lack of competitors within the Ladies’s Six Nations is changing into a giant downside
This was, within the phrases of Gary Barlow, a really good time out for English rugby followers.
There have been 14 residence tries in entrance of a Twickenham crowd of 48,778. The solar shone and there was a half-time efficiency from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who delivered her trademark hit.
John Mitchell’s facet stayed heading in the right direction for a 3rd straight Grand Slam and now solely France in Bordeaux subsequent Saturday stand between them and one other clear sweep.
There was just one downside. Like England’s earlier three Championship video games, this was a complete sporting non-contest. It was totally one-sided, with the Crimson Roses completely dominant.
The shortage of competitors within the Ladies’s Six Nations is beginning to develop into a giant downside with solely France able to giving England something to fret about. For its sporting integrity, the feminine Championship badly must be greater than only a one-team competitors.
Abby Dow scored a hat-trcik as England thrashed Eire at Twickenham on Saturday
That’s precisely what it’s at present. It’s not England’s fault. The RFU led the best way in professionalising girls’s rugby. They deserve credit score for doing so and have been suitably rewarded.
However regardless of different groups following England in awarding full-time contracts, the hole between them and the highest appears to be widening not narrowing.
There isn’t a simple reply to this conundrum, however the easy reality is different groups will proceed to get nowhere close to England until their unions preserve funding within the girls’s sport.
‘We laid down the problem to the women to step up this week they usually definitely did that,’ stated England head coach Mitchell. ‘It’s onerous to say, however we will get so much higher. I’m positive some folks will chat in regards to the competitiveness however on the finish of the day we drive ourselves. That’s all we will deal with.’
England performed the type of attacking rugby Mitchell promised when he took over. They had been excellent and sealed a four-try bonus after simply 20 minutes as the electrical Ellie Kildunne and Abby Dow – who each ended with hat-tricks – led Eire a merry dance.
Zoe Aldcroft and Natasha Hunt additionally notched high quality tries. After six England first-half scores, Ellis-Bextor was launched because the second Twickenham had ‘all been ready for.’
The announcer should have been nicely conscious the sporting motion lacked drama.
Ellis-Bextor obtained the house supporters rocking. Even the groundsmen broke right into a jig. It was noticeable that the ladies’s sport attracts a special viewers to England males’s matches.
Twickenham was filled with households. It’s undoubtedly true the ladies’s sport is rugby’s greatest space for development forward of England internet hosting the subsequent feminine World Cup in 2025.
The RFU wish to promote out Twickenham for that ultimate and for England to win it. Solely New Zealand, realistically, will have the ability to cease them. The autumn assembly between the 2 sides ought to see England lastly given an actual take a look at and guarantees to be a momentous encounter. Sadly, this wasn’t.
Ankle and thumb accidents harm to Lark Atkin-Davies and Rosie Galligan had been a priority for Mitchell with France in thoughts however Jess Breach, a part of England’s liquid again three alongside Kildunne and Dow, continued the scoring when Ellis-Bextor was carried out and dusted.
‘It doesn’t look good,’ Mitchell admitted on Atkin-Davies. A uncommon bout of Irish strain resulted in a penalty attempt to a yellow card for alternative England scrum-half Lucy Packer.
Electrical full-back Ellie Kildunne has been England’s standout participant this championship
John Mitchell’s facet stayed heading in the right direction for a 3rd straight Grand Slam by thrashing Eire
Poor self-discipline has been an issue for England on this Six Nations. Packer’s sin binning was their third card of the competitors however even numerical deficits can’t cease them. Megan Jones responded with an excellent outdoors break to attain earlier than Dow and Kildunne accomplished their trebles.
Eire badly ran out of puff and England precipitated carnage. Kildunne now has 9 tries and three participant of-the-match awards from 4 video games on this yr’s Six Nations.
She stated: ‘We placed on a present! We actually turned it on once we wanted to. It grew to become working rugby and it was gratifying. We speak so much about taking the hand break off. It feeds confidence.’
Eire head coach and former England assistant Scott Bemand stated: ‘It was a tricky day on the workplace. England are the market leaders in world rugby. At occasions we regarded a little bit bit shellshocked.’
