Simon Middleton column: 'The World Cup is a living nightmare for coaches'

English mauls: What’s not to love?

Let’s start with a simple statement: the maul, lineout, and scrum are huge parts of rugby union. The skill, tactical and technical work that goes into it is pretty incredible. The amount of teamwork that is poured into it is an astonishing thing to admire, as the players have to work in unison to make it work.

There’s a common purpose, and everyone knows that they have to be in synch to make it work. With that being said, England has definitely achieved that level of harmonisation in the forward pack.

And that sync was made possible not only because they have athletic and dynamic players, but they’ve also built them for that type of game, such as Zoe Aldcroft, Abbie Ward, and Alex Matthews. Combine it with having the two best hookers in the world, throwing-wise, and they have a platform that can read and out manoeuvre the opposition set-piece and that can hit any area of the lineout with accuracy and consistency.

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

It is a pretty deadly combination, and it remains one of their primary strike weapons. Look at how it unlocked France’s defence during the Red Roses’ final World Cup warm up game.

The Les Bleues defended well in open play, but because they kept getting penalised, England always had a platform to attack from the set-piece.

Every time France conceded a penalty inside their half, England just asked Zoe Harrison to kick to within striking distance from the France line, something she is adept at, and England’s lineout took over. More often than not, ultimately leading to a precisely executed maul and the inevitable try.

Having a reliable set-piece allows you to control the tempo of the game, manage the game’s dynamics better, and ultimately dictate most of the playing terms and with it the pressure moments in the game.

Is it possible to stop it? Yes. However, the better question would be if can you stop it consistently? Canada has been doing a good job of stopping the English maul and scrum. They have found a way to counter it fairly consistently, which could be a game-changer if the two teams meet in the knockout stages.

It can seem ‘weird’, but the set-piece can come down to attitude. I used to enjoy watching Louis Deacon coaching England’s forwards, especially when he was focused on developing the set-piece and the maul. For him, making a maul prosper starts with the attitude the players have. Yes, the tactical and technical aspects are hugely important, but the attitude is the spark that can help a team handle those areas more effectively.

And that’s what makes rugby union special, even if in the women’s game, the new fans don’t yet perceive the value of the set-piece. I understand the amazement and excitement behind watching the running and scoring talent in our game, such as Ruby Tui, Ellie Kildunne, Alev Kelter, as they are outstanding players to watch.

But for the rugby purist, be it a woman or a man, a terrific set-piece makes you smile and be passionate about the game.

And talking about passion and things that can make you happy, I do think the word ‘Jeopardy’ is in full flight in this World Cup. For a start I think there’s at least three and if France can get their act together, four realistic contenders. Alongside that there’s no easy pool, and there’s a big question mark about who will finish in the top two of each group.

You look at France’s pool, and you could easily see Italy winning the top spot.

They are a very good side, and I reckon they will have a big World Cup. I can see them beating France in the first game and mounting a superb challenge in the knockout stages… maybe even becoming semifinals outsiders.

head coach Fabio Roselli is building an excellent side, one that is at the same time exciting to watch but also tough and ready to tussle around.

They have a strong and aggressive defensive system and just as critically Italy has firepower. In Alyssa D’Inca and Aura Muzzo they have evasive, aggressive, work hungry try scorers, that more critically have raw pace. I do think they have what they need to do something special in the World Cup.

And if you go to Pool C, Japan’s group, the Black Ferns sit as favourites to earn that top spot, but Ireland will believe they have a word to say about that.

Their main challenge is the injury word, with Erin King and Dorothy Wall already ruled out and Aoife Wafer a major injury concern. There’ll be a huge expectation for them to make it into the quarterfinals and in truth I think they will be disappointed if they don’t make the semis, especially after what they’ve done in the last couple of years.

However, for 35 minutes they were dominated by Scotland a few weeks ago. Thankfully for them, they seized the moment when it mattered and turned the game around. Looking at how Ireland play, they rely massively on Dannah O’Brien’s kicking game to set up the tone.

If the opposite side manages to shut her down, it can take away their main path to gaining field position and momentum. Having said that they are very good once they do get in the ascendency. With that in mind, another question arises: can Ireland knit all its good components together and make it work? That’s a question that will be answered in a few days…

As for Japan, they are in the same place as most of the teams. They have gone through the technical and tactical stuff, worked on their conditioning and tested all in the last few weeks against Spain and Italy, to understand where they sit at the moment.

There’s a detail that people often default to when they speak about Japan, which is the size, or the lack of big and tall players, when you could see it from the opposite point of view. In almost all scenarios, with the exception of the lineout, rugby union is designed to be played close to the ground, also it’s a very technically exacting sport, and that actually fits Japan’s profile pretty well.

If Japan can get the game they want to play on the field, as they did for long periods against Spain and the USA, and if they can convert the opportunities they create into points, then they will have just as much a say as anyone in who goes through to the quarterfinals alongside the Black Ferns.

However, they can’t afford the type of first half they had in Calvisano, when they allowed Italy to score points at every opportunity they were given, and that’s something to work on before the campaign kicks off.

In the week before a big tournament, many coaches will be thinking about injuries. I understand it is one of the most significant talking points, but it is vital to accept that every nation will go into the World Cup with at least one or two key players under the injury spotlight. It is, unfortunately, part of the game.

From a head coach’s perspective, you have to build trust in the players, and they have to develop it among themselves, so they won’t get stressed if a big name gets injured.

You can prepare for those scenarios, but the most vital thing is to reassure the team that they can still achieve their goals, even if the team is missing that key player.

On the other hand, you need to create depth in your team, rotate players and give them exposure so they build confidence and are ready to step in when they are required. You have to constantly consider contingency plans and be prepared to rely on them. You have to present a scenario to the players and tell them that you can handle anything that comes up.

It happened to us in 2022, when we lost Leanne Infante on the day of the final. It was important for us to show we trusted the group, and that we could go into the game without freaking out about missing a player of Leanne’s standard.

Lucy Packer stepped into the breach and no one in the coaching or playing group gave it a second thought. Although, she only had a couple of international starts under her belt Lucy was an integral part of the squad.

The players knew her ability and temperament and trusted her implicitly. Needless to say, she had a great game! That’s why a head coach has to lead and find ways to raise players’ spirits.

Let me tell you a story about motivation and how it helps a team dust off the pressure and stress. When we beat Canada in the semi-final, in a game we should’ve probably lost, I remember feeling the mood of the players being flat, especially on the ride home. We got there, and I called a team meeting, and I was like, ‘Guys, we are in the World Cup final. So do not panic! Do not panic!’

They all started laughing and saying, ‘What? Like you’re doing now?’. I told them to enjoy that week; to enjoy the fact they were going to play in a World Cup final.

As a coach, you have to find the equilibrium; you have to bring them up when they are feeling down. Maintaining normality is key to having a good World Cup. Yes, you can’t help but dream and start thinking about every single scenario, but you need to help them get back to earth and get ready for the next task.

When you go to a World Cup, you have everything planned out, and then you start adjusting and tinkering with your framework as the competition goes on. In 2022, we felt the need to give the team a day and a night away at the start of the week leading up to the final, allowing them to spend time with their families and friends. We took the pressure off and allowed them to have a decompress.

You have to remember where all of them are coming from. They have been involved in camps for months, having devoted a lot of their time to the game, the staff has to be conscious and sensitive to all of these tiny details.

That’s why selections are a massive thing for a coach. You have to think about injuries and options, what works tactically and strategy-wise, and understand what will work better against opposition A or opposition B.

It goes without saying the World Cup is just as much the pinnacle of the staff as well as the players’ careers and suffice to say, the World Cup is a living nightmare for coaches — fun for most, but a living nightmare for those who have to make all of the decisions.

And another starts now, so, from someone who was involved in a few of them: make sure you sit back, relax and enjoy!