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UNDEFEATED in more than a year. A winning run of 29 games in the Six Nations. Three consecutive Grand Slams, and six championships on the bounce.
Can anyone stop the England women’s team?
Their formidable records speak of near perfection, but the one team that have had their number when it matters most is New Zealand.
Five World Cup finals against the Red Roses – five wins. A statistic that every team in world rugby would dream of.
The Black Ferns were the last side to beat England, securing a dramatic victory at their home World Cup in 2022.
That painful defeat has fuelled England to go on a 16-game winning run.
“The 2021 final [played in 2022] was the worst time for me as I was truly heartbroken,” Red Roses captain Marlie Packer told BBC Sport.
“It was a really tough time as a squad but hopefully we have shown growth since.”
Some revenge was dealt last year when John Mitchell’s side defeated the world champions in Auckland to win last year’s WXV tournament.
“England are a great team and world number one, but we are no strangers to success as well,” New Zealand co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu said.
“We were surprised by WXV as we had done a lot of good work and were in a good space.”
Now the goal for the world’s number one-ranked side is back-to-back wins over the Black Ferns at the newly named Allianz Stadium on Saturday – in their second warm-up game before WXV.
‘Facing the haka pumps you up’
The fixture hypes itself and its intense rivalry has meant 40,000 tickets have been sold.
Head coach Mitchell, a former New Zealand player and coach, confirmed there would be nothing but respect shown to the pre-match haka.
Lock Zoe Aldcroft, who started the World Cup final and scored in the WXV1 victory last year, said that despite facing the haka many times it still gives her “goosebumps”.
“We are just going to keep it chill and face it. Let them do it, we will then huddle up and keep our mind on our game,” Aldcroft told BBC Sport.
“I can’t really explain the feeling but it also pumps you up a lot more and it pumps those guys up and you are also like ‘come on then’, and you just can’t wait for the whistle to blow.”
The World Cup final ended 34-31 and included four tries scored within 25 minutes, while England wing Lydia Thompson was sent off in the 18th minute.
The Red Roses learned from this and a year later scored three times inside 25 minutes to take control of the WXV1 meeting.
In the victory last weekend against France there were signs of pre-season rust in the early stages.
Getting out of the blocks fast is must, especially when the Black Ferns tend not to make mistakes twice.
“You want to get into them as you know they are going to come hard at you in those first 20 minutes,” added Aldcroft.
“It is fierce. Especially when you face the haka, that really pumps you up. You then start the game and the first 10 minutes are so physical. Nothing like you ever have experienced before.
“You just have to keep going and going, but you kind of get the adrenaline rush through the game as it is that big a game that you really want to win. You just go for it.”
‘Scarratt’s acceleration has returned’
Emily Scarratt did not immediately rediscover the form that made her World Player of the Year in 2019 and a star of the 2014 World Cup final victory.
The 34-year-old, who returned earlier this year after more than a year out following neck surgery, will join Sarah Hunter and Rochelle Clark in making 100 starts for the Red Roses on Saturday.
The 112-cap centre came back before the Six Nations but Mitchell felt she looked “sluggish” in terms of “hitting lines” having simply not played enough rugby, resulting in only one start against Italy.
Mitchell wanted to use Scarratt’s distribution skills at inside centre during that campaign and felt her top-end speed may not have been where it once was to play her usual role at 13.
However, an injury to regular starting outside centre Meg Jones has opened the door and Mitchell believes Scarratt is now back up to speed.
“Emily is looking really good and has trained well over the last seven weeks,” the England coach added.
“That foundation from pre-season has put her in good stead and allowed her to focus on her natural position.
“Now she has a full season of pre-season under her belt, her acceleration has returned, which has allowed her to focus on hitting the ball [at pace] and all her other decision making that comes natural at 13.”
The 34-year-old is one of three England players to survive from New Zealand’s last visit to Twickenham in December 2012.
Experience of beating the Black Ferns is one thing, but experience of beating them at the home of English rugby is another.
It is experience that could be crucial on 27 September next year when the Rugby World Cup final is played on the same stage, with these great rivals favourites to be meeting again.
Line-ups
England: Kildunne; Dow, Scarratt, Heard, Breach; Aitchison, Hunt; Carson, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Aldcroft, Ward, Feaunati, M Packer (capt), Matthews.
Replacements: Cokayne, Botterman, Muir, Talling, Brock, L Packer, Harrison, Rowland.
New Zealand: Holmes; Leti-I’iga, Brunt, Demant (co-captain), Vahaakolo; King, Joseph; Viliko, Ponsonby, Kalounivale, Bremner, Roos, Mikaele-Tu’u, Tukuafu (co-captain), Olsen-Baker.
Replacements: Lolohea, Henwood, Rule, Vaipulu, Sae, Hohaia, Du Plessis, Tui.
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
Culled from BBC
14th September, 2024.
C.E.
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