Rosie Galligan: 'We're not a starting act, nor a follow-on act, but the main show.'
Four weeks post op and I am feeling the burn! My usual day consists of gym rehab with physio at 12, followed by swimming, treatment, a gym session and a bike at six.
I made the decision not to go into camp this week as I knew my body needed a bit of a rest. I have loved my ‘Camp Wednesdays’ where I get to go in and see the England players.
For the past four weeks it has been my release – seeing friends, attending meetings and most importantly, eating good food. The highlight for me has been Sarah Beckett’s guitar in the recovery corner. There’s something about music that makes you switch off and not think about anything else.
I think switching off this week has been a little tougher for the girls. Eight weeks is a long time to be in camp and to have the last game deciding your fate is never easy. But what better way to end the campaign than a Grand Slam decider, at the home of English Rugby in front of 55,000 plus people; all of whom are making their way to Twickenham for a standalone women’s game?
We’re not a starting act, nor a follow-on act, but the main show. It’s such a massive occasion for women’s rugby and women’s sport and I know how special it is for the girls. I’m obviously gutted I can’t be out on the pitch, but I’ll be their biggest fan in the stands.
Playing at Twickenham is an incredible feeling. I have played there twice for Harlequins in Big Game 12 and 13 and played for the Red Roses against the Babas back in 2019. Both were double headers and an incredible experience. I love a double header. It is a fantastic day out for rugby fans and unites the women’s and men’s sections of clubs.
However, I don’t think the women’s game now needs to rely on the men’s game and double header fixtures. It’s about getting the balance right and acknowledging that we can get a full crowd and we’re not just doing it for the sake of it.
Having the Sugababes perform at the match is something the girls are really excited about. I know there was a competition in camp in the week where the girls were split into groups and had to make their own Sugababes music video. Let’s just say, I don’t think any of them will be performing on Saturday…
There’s also a bet on from Marlie Packer to see which commentator can get the most Sugababes puns into their commentary. I’m working at Twickenham in the morning and I’ve already got my list of things I’m going to try and get in. I’ll be working for the ‘Recharged’ TikTok Women’s Six Nations programme which is new for this championship and goes through each game of the weekend and shows the atmosphere at every game.
Last week after our win against Ireland, England officially qualified for WXV tier 1 which is exciting. As a team we spoke through our calendar this year domestically and internationally and there is a lot more rugby coming up this season and next.
We have an idea what the year is looking like and when we’ll get a summer break, when we’ll be in camp and making sure we’re prepared to go into WXV 1 fit and firing and performing our best. I’m sure there will be a shift of looking towards playing WXV in the autumn after the Six Nations is over.
The end of this year’s campaign brings an end to Simon Middleton and Scott Bemand’s time in the England coaching team. It’s the end of an era. Both have been around a lot longer than I have. Mids especially has helped our team throughout the years and been a trailblazer.
He’s got the women’s game in this country to where it is and he’s leaving it in such a good place. We couldn’t have asked for any more from him. We wish him the best of luck in his next adventure and will hopefully be giving them a great send off on Saturday and a sore head on Sunday morning!
After the game we have a friends and family function at Twickenham where food will be put on for us, and a pub has been hired to celebrate. The celebrations continue for the players on Sunday, where Abbie Ward and Sarah Hunter have been planning a team social. A retiree and a heavily pregnant women planning a social, what could possibly go wrong?!
For me this Six Nations, the standout player for France has been Gabrielle Vernier in the centres. She will be someone who England are going to have to nullify to keep the French at bay. It’s an emotional battle when we face France, the games are always so close.
The English backs have made their mark in this campaign, but I think this weekend will be the first big challenge and it’ll be interesting to see how they front up against a well organised, strong French backline. As the saying goes, may the best team win.
From a personal perspective, I will be back into club on Monday to continue my rehab journey. Week 5 is a big week consisting of strength and capacity markers and starting my running block on the Alter G (anti-gravity) machine.
I’m really excited for the next few weeks ahead and challenging myself to be back on the rugby pitch before the end of the season.
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments