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'There is genuinely no better feeling than playing at the home of English rugby'
The anthem last weekend will be one to remember. We saw sun, rain, and hail, and faced blistering winds singing God Save the King. Some people would be negatively affected by this, but for us, it was definitely a ‘fire up’ moment.
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I really enjoyed going back to The Hive. I enjoy playing on astroturf as I think it suits the way I play. I am seen as a ‘mobile’ second row, so being able to get around the park and play fast rugby is beneficial to my game.
What made it even better this time round was the sold-out crowd that attended the fixture. Come rain or shine, they were there singing in full force and getting behind their team. They definitely brought the drama when it came to big referee decisions…
The game was all about adapting and that’s something that we are really good at. In training, we are given scenarios and our leaders make decisions on how to play based on these. We received two yellow cards on the weekend but we weren’t flustered by it.
We kept calm, controlled the game and followed our processes. Alongside this, we tightened up our game, altered our lineout plan and made sure to leave the breakdown to have numbers on feet in defence.
After the game, we celebrated in the changing room. We have an award called ‘Courage, Bond, Lead’ which are the Red Roses values. Holly Aitchison won the Silver Rose this week for her dominant defensive effort and for controlling the game in difficult circumstances.
We also celebrated Mo Hunt’s 70th cap. Mo has been incredible since her heartbreak of missing out on World Cup selection. She is such a bubbly, caring person and always has a smile on her face. She is a pivotal player in the squad both on and off the pitch.
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This week the highlight of camp was our Italian-themed dinner on Tuesday night. We walked into the team room which had received a ‘glow up’ and was made to look like an Italian restaurant.
We had fresh bread with balsamic vinegar and oil (a team favourite), bruschetta, croquettes and cold meats, followed by an array of pasta dishes and an ice cream machine. The fact I have described my dinner shows how much I enjoyed it. I was one happy girl going to bed last night.
It’s Murder on the Dancefloor… oh no it’s the Red Roses at Twickenham Stadium! Last year we had the Sugababes, this year we’ve levelled up and have Sophie Ellis-Bextor as the halftime act. I recently spent the afternoon at Twickenham filming the promotional videos for the announcement and have been humming the tune ever since!
I know I’ve said this before but there is genuinely no better feeling than playing at the home of English rugby, but to be able to do it in front of over 45,000 is even better.
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The way Ireland played last weekend against Wales has created a buzz in the air about our upcoming fixture. They have started to piece together some extended passages of play and have some standout individuals who have become well-known in the tournament.
One of the players who has caught our attention is Aoife Wafer who has been incredibly important in Ireland’s attack. She has the ability to carry hard in close quarters as well as break the line in wider channels. She will be one to watch this weekend.
For many of the England girls, it’s exciting to play against our old backs coach, Scott Beamand. Scott was involved in many trophies with the Red Roses over the years, so I’m sure he has taken some of the things he learnt from his success with him.
Our task is to break his structure down, see how quickly we can affect their pattern of play and put pressure on players who haven’t yet been pressured in the tournament.
If you haven’t been to a women’s game before, this is the perfect time to do it. Get behind the Red Roses and join us at Twickenham on Saturday at 14.15 where we take on Ireland in the fourth round of the Women’s Six Nations.
Comments on RugbyPass
Not a fan of Penney to be fair as I don’t see him able to perform at SR level. However he has stepped into a bit of a mess with so many long service players leaving. No matter how good a coach us he can’t wave a magic wind and turn young pups into Crusaders in 5 mins. Wheaven to accept this is a complete rebuild of players and culture. Have some patience just as the other teams have had in years gone by
29 Go to commentsWhat is Ben’s point exactly? Cause if it’s that the ABs should’ve won that game, then yes I think every AB fan would agree with that. But the DIDN'T. You need luck to go your way and it went the Springboks way, just as it went the ABs way in 2011. Given that this article is written 6 months after the final shows that Ben is still incredibly butthurt. Time to move on Mr Smith. Maybe join something that suits your bias… i’m thinking the Australian commentary panel?
9 Go to commentsSA players and fans calling the irish arrogant, ooh the irony!!
78 Go to commentsPersonally i’d have BB off the bench and DMac as 10. BB seems to have more ‘average’ games and less ability to mix it up on the fly than DMac,
6 Go to commentsBen’s Myth History is written by the guy who does the engraving on the trophy. Took Ben six months to write this piece.
9 Go to commentsThis article should have been written immediately after the final, not half a year later. While the content of the article is accurate with the references to the cruel bounce to Savea right before the try line, Etzebeth’s cynical infringement, and the inconsistent cards, some of the hyperbole emotional statements are unnecessary and gaslighting. The fact remains that the Springboks took their scoring opportunities. They had amazing defence throughout the entire match (limiting the ABs to one try is very respectable), their scrum was pretty good and they had quite a solid lineout despite having a part-time hooker throwing the ball in. Let’s give credit where credit is due and move forward. The Springboks won because they know how to win big games through strong defence and kicking, and they had lady luck on their side on the day. The All Blacks miraculously made the final despite everyone’s predictions and could’ve won the whole damn thing with 14 men who should’ve taken better advantage of their scoring chances and committed less mistakes (shoddy lineouts, dropped balls, some poor kicks and passing, etc), and an average coach and captain with some questionable tactics (Jordie kicking for goal late in the game from a dodgy position and perhaps the wrong game plan overall). Time to move on.
9 Go to commentsThere’s no doubt the All Blacks were the better team on the day, but it’s not enough to be better, you also have to have luck.
9 Go to commentsI dunno, Ben. It does feel a little like you are just in denial that the Springboks are really good. Good enough to win two straight world cups.
9 Go to commentsAre we still talking about the World Cup final in May? The final took place more than 6 months ago. Isn’t it time to move on?
9 Go to commentsIt looks like the trauma counseling is not helping the Ben Smith troll much. He is still trying to convince his little brain that his loser team won the RWC.
9 Go to commentsOh dear, Jon. Ben Smith’s Saffer clickbait was at least backed up by some rationale!
9 Go to commentsThe more direct approach to your past time this time I see Ben. Look, it doesn’t need to be said, anyone watching the match knows the ABs played better and just got robbed by the officiating, but lets face it, their dominance in the match was only because South Africa choked and forgot how to play rugby with the ball. South Africa were still the better side. Of course Ireland and France were also better sides that New Zealand. Possibly even England on WC performances.
9 Go to commentsGreat mythology - no surprises Ox didn't talk about being driven backwards by Laulala in the RWC final!
4 Go to commentsJust shows how a hand up can help as long as the invitation is accepted. Good story.
1 Go to commentsKarma is a powerful force
22 Go to commentsFrench players said the same thing to the All Blacks after their pool match in 2011. But the French can back up their s**t talk with action.
78 Go to commentsThe problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
22 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
78 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
78 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
29 Go to comments