Red mist and three other talking points after England 'nil' Scotland
Fair play to women’s rugby. Rather than indomitable England’s lengthy winning streak of 27 strangle interest in the Guinness Six Nations, there continues to be an across-the-championship growth in the tournament.
Scotland on Saturday was another example, the sold-out attendance of 7,774 being double the 3,988 at the Hive when England previously visited Edinburgh in 2022. If there is a worry it’s that the media surrounding them isn’t consistent.
The small Ashton Gate media room on Easter Saturday was busy with a double-figure body count in attendance to hear what John Mitchell and Marlie Packer had to say about the round two win over Wales.
In Scotland, though, there were just two journalists in attendance – including RugbyPass – when the head coach and round three skipper Zoe Aldcroft arrived for their debrief. It was a reminder that England aren’t the same drawcard on the Six Nations road that they are for their home games.
Normal service will, of course, be resumed next weekend when they host Ireland at Twickenham in front of another bumper five-figure fan attendance.
That will be cool, but the limited media in Edinburgh highlighted how there is still a battle to be won for journalistic interest on days when the women’s code directly competes with men’s action for sports section budget. Here are some other England talking points coming out of Scotland with a 46-0 win:
Red mist… again
It would be easy to cheerlead and go what another wonderful big win for England. But let’s not beat around the bush: one area where they must sharply improve is their discipline.
They, for sure, don’t need reminding that it was a red card in Auckland that ultimately tipped the scales in favour of New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final, and 18 months later they have collected two reds in three Guinness Six Nations games. That’s poor.
These sending-offs for Sarah Beckett – a croc roll in Italy – and Amy Cokayne – yellows for tackling through the horizontal and shoulder-to-the-head contact in Scotland – were very avoidable.
Being a player short didn’t hinder their team when it came to winning as both matches against opposition that they traditionally beat well were won by comfortable margins. But that isn’t the point.
The concern must be what happens if some more naughty step behaviour materialises in Bordeaux on April 27 when England look to seal the Grand Slam versus France and become six in a row Six Nations champions.
Aside from the cards, they have a penalty problem. While the total concession was only six in Italy, it was 15 at home to Wales and 13 away to Scotland. Anything in double figures must be called out, especially in games where they are dominating the scoreboard and shouldn’t be infringing as much.
If they get the wrong side of referee Maggie Cogger-Orr, they could potentially be in danger of falling to their first championship loss since the 2018 reverse in Grenoble against the French.
Regarding Saturday’s Cokayne red, Mitchell initially said he had no complaint yet went to query the severity of the first carded incident. “No. At the end of the day, we encourage the girls to play around the edge. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don’t. Amy has just come back.
“I guess it just creates awareness for all of us that we got to make sure we get our tackle height right. I thought her first card was a little bit difficult because the player did return to safety in that instance, so it probably deserved a penalty but yeah, we will learn from the tackle height.”
Here’s hoping.
WINTER HASN'T GONE AWAY: The April conditions in Edinburgh turned horrible for the England national anthem. #GuinnessW6N #SCOvENG #rugby #ScottishRugby #EnglandRugby pic.twitter.com/Cv97WVN2Lv
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 13, 2024
Handbrake on
There is no quibble that when they click, England are beautiful to watch. Just look at the impromptu skill of the football-style kicked assist that Megan Jones produced to assist Ellie Kildunne’s first try, and that perfectly executed training ground backline move off scrum ball that ended with Abby Dow crossing wings to usher in Jess Breach. Those moments were sweetly clinical.
However, you can’t help but feel that Mitchell’s England are playing with the handbrake on. Despite eclipsing the Scots by 10 linebreaks to one and by 10 offloads to two, there were too many self-inflicted wounds – 33 handling errors to just 15 by the opposition, according to the official stats.
Yes, the conditions in Edinburgh were at times filthy, akin to a horrible winter’s day in December and not a spring afternoon in mid-April. Bad weather or not, though, the bottom line is that Mitchell’s England are currently less potent than Simon Middleton’s.
Last year’s wins over Italy, Wales, and Scotland featured 31 England tries but they have just 24 this term, seven less than in 2023. There was pushback from Mitchell when it was suggested his team had an issue with stepping on the accelerator and producing a more complete performance.
“I wouldn’t say we are struggling. It’s the wrong terminology. It might be your terminology but we’re certainly not struggling. We’re presenting ourselves lots of opportunities,” he said in response to a RugbyPass suggestion.
“We just need to continue to trust the way we are playing the game, trust each other, trust who we are with and when we need to execute. I’d rather be in that situation than not presenting those opportunities. We’re in a good place.”
? Re-live the highlights from today's match between Scotland and England at a sold out Hive Stadium here ?#GuinnessW6N #SCOENG pic.twitter.com/vJRkKAfrhr
— Guinness Women's Six Nations (@Womens6Nations) April 13, 2024
Bots the entertainer
One area of growth for England in recent weeks has been the all-court influence wielded by props Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir. Neither operates similar to Dan Cole, the old-school veteran on Steve Borthwick men’s team, who is thoroughly ball-allergic and restricts himself to just doing the set-piece, ruck clearance and tackle basics very well.
Botterman and Muir are constantly coming around the corner wanting Natasha Hunt to hit them with passes and their collective carry count is immense in keeping England ticking along with repeated gain line crossings.
The starting props were credited with 18 carries between them, Botterman enjoying a table-topping 11 and Muir only denied a first-half try by the penalised breakdown chicanery of the yellow card receiving Cokayne.
Botterman has the talent to become a supreme entertainer by the time the next Rugby World Cup comes around. Her first-half intercept was a canny bit of play and while the kick she produced some 10 or so yards later was a killer as it shanked into touch, the fact that she had the chutzpah to try it should be celebrated.
“We might be playing a little bit too much grubber touch in our skill games,” quipped Mitchell when asked to endorse Botterman’s mischief. “She was looking for the navigation to be a bit further north.
“But it just sums up Bots. Bots is a free spirit with an excellent skill set and she played awesome along with Maud Muir. I thought both props were outstanding; well the front row as a whole were outstanding.”
"We're not struggling… we're in a good place."
– England have scored 24 tries in 2024 compared to 31 against the same opposition in 2023, but John Mitchell has seen growth in their game, from Liam Heagney ?? in Edinburgh. #GuinnessW6N #SCOvENG #RedRoses #EnglandRugby #rugby pic.twitter.com/b4X0AtY1ZX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 13, 2024
Managing Packer
The round four England team selection versus Ireland was teed up intriguingly by the impact of starting back row Mitchell went with versus the Scots.
Aldcroft, Sadia Kabeya, and Alex Matthews proved a very balanced unit, with the naming of Aldcroft at blindside rather than at lock resulting in the benching of veteran skipper Packer.
Packer being Packer, the 34-year-old wasn’t content to play an anonymous role in the shadows and it was her 73rd-minute try off the bench that rounded off the try scoring and left Mitchell fielding a question post-game about his potential round-four back row.
“Marlie is our team captain, Zoey is also our captain – We have got wonderful leaders,” he explained. “We have got a leader group that any one of them at any point of time might have to stand up and be captain.
“You have got to prepare for the future as well because you don’t always have everyone healthy or available so for anyone to step into the shoes of captaincy is important to understand and we also have to manage load as well.
“Marlie was managed (against Scotland) and it just goes to show what sort of depth we have and this exciting back row that started the game were awesome.”
Let’s call it: Mitchell will restore Aldcroft to the engine room to free up space for Packer to come back into the starting back row.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
1 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
2 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
2 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
92 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
92 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
92 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
92 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
92 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
92 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
92 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
92 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
92 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
92 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to comments