Six Nations Womens ‘And so? I’ll have to play': How Sophie Ellis-Bextor unwittingly previewed Red Roses vs Ireland

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The question is: will the afternoon’s real murder have already taken place? Will there be any life left in this fixture by the forty-minute mark? The Red Roses are the most lethal team in rugby - killing grooves, burning houses down, and proving anyone wrong who thinks they can get away - and, unfortunately, this one comes with the sense of inevitability which remains this competition’s deepest flaw.

Claire Thomas by Claire Thomas