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'My thumb is finally free! It’s been a long seven weeks'

BRISTOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Rosie Galligan of England takes a selfie with members of the crowd at full-time following the team's victory in the Guinness Women's Six Nations 2024 match between England and Wales at Ashton Gate on March 30, 2024 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Harry Trump - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

My thumb is finally free! It’s been a long seven weeks but I am no longer in a permanent cast or splint. Last week I went up to Manchester to get the wires taken out of my thumb which is a massive step in the right direction.

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Until now I’ve been limited in the amount of rehab I’ve been able to do, but I’ve been doing a lot of running. I’ve been working with the England strength and conditioning staff to make sure that I am in a really good position in terms of going into pre-season as fit as I can be. There is a lot of hard graft that has been going on in a running capacity, but I’m excited to be able to start actually rehabbing my thumb from this week onwards.

While I’m out with my thumb injury at present it’s important to stay involved with the team. During the week I do a lot of my rehab but I also then help out with the forwards element of the training sessions.

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This involves helping with lineouts, analysis, and giving a slightly different perspective from our coach Mo [Mouritz Botha]. I am currently in the final stages of completing my level three coaching course so being able to bring some of the skills that I’ve learnt from that into Saracens and using it to help the girls develop has been really interesting.

As a player, I can get a feel for what the girls are thinking about certain things and I can feed back key information to the coaching staff on how to get the best out of the girls in these last few weeks.

When it comes to game day, I try and get involved in some media work as it is something that I really enjoy doing. I made my TNT Sports debut when Saracens took on reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury.

It was headed up by Laura-Jane Jones with Red Roses defence coach Sarah Hunter as a guest, who then made her way over to commentary with Nick Heath. Being able to give a player voice on coverage is a unique experience and helps viewers understand the game from a different perspective.

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The result against Gloucester-Hartpury was massive for us. We had a really good training week that week and we knew how important the fixture was for us. We didn’t want to leave it until the final week of the season to secure a home semi-final.

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On the day, it wasn’t always pretty rugby and it was very even at points, but it came down to a missed kick which meant that we were two points ahead. The pressure was on in the last ten minutes. Massive kudos to our front three who turned over Gloucester’s final scrum.

Our last game of the season took us to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens to play against Loughborough Lightning who have continued to develop throughout the year. They caused a lot of disruption to the Saracens defence with Emily Scarratt’s long passes releasing the speedsters in the wider channels.

The second half Saracens found their momentum and started utilising their forwards better. There were a few key players missing in the likes of Marlie Packer, Lotte Clapp, Jess Breach and Poppy Cleall but the depth in the squad meant that Saracens still came away with a bonus point win and finished the season on a high.

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As the league games come to a close, we now approach knockout rugby – the best bit of the season where you only have one chance to get the win. Watch this space for an exclusive insight into the two semi-finals where Gloucester-Hartpury take on Exeter Chiefs at Kingsholm and Saracens take on Bristol Bears at Stone X.

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I
IkeaBoy 5 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


“lol u really need to chill out”

Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

171 Go to comments
f
fl 6 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


“Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

171 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 6 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

171 Go to comments
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