The England women's rugby team, the Red Roses, are preparing for Saturday's clash with New Zealand at Twickenham, a week after their 40-game unbeaten streak was blemished by a draw against Canada. The match, expected to be played in front of almost 60,000 at Allianz Stadium, comes nearly a year to the day since the Rugby World Cup final, which England won against Canada.
Edwards joins as defensive consultant
The biggest news out of the England camp this week is the arrival of Shaun Edwards as a defence specialist coaching consultant. Head coach John Mitchell has said the 59-year-old is already forming good relationships with the players. England back-row Abi Burton echoed that sentiment, saying they bonded over their rugby league backgrounds; Burton comes from a rugby league family with her father, Danny, playing for clubs such as Bradford Bulls.
Burton said, “We got to have that moment of connection to have a chat about that, it felt really cool and special to share that with such a legend of the game. It helps you connect and learn about each other.” She added that Edwards has an aura about him and has brought a new energy, saying, “That is something we haven’t had in a while. Obviously Scaz [Emily Scarratt] went into her coaching role but she has been a constant. I think that aura is so powerful and it makes us want to step up because it is like this man is legendary. You don’t want to let him down, you want to step up. You don’t realise you have another gear to give until you get put in that situation. I think it is super exciting that he has joined us and he will be a real asset to the squad.”
Burton on learning from draws
The match against Canada was a thrilling and close Test which deservedly came out as a draw, and Burton believes such on-field battles can help the Red Roses improve. She said, “I am not scared of losing any more, I am scared that we will become stagnant. I don’t think we are at that point because we constantly look to get better in training and push each other from a selection point of view. But ultimately you don’t know what you don’t know and if we are at the point of we don’t feel like we are potentially progressing … you do need that ‘they are actually here now, they are on our tails, we were fighting before but we need to fight even more now’. You learn more from the losses and the draws than you do the wins.”
Black Ferns revitalised under new coach
New Zealand, who last made England taste defeat in the World Cup final four years ago, are revitalised under new head coach Whitney Hansen, who has not yet lost since taking over the job in December of last year. The nations have not played each other in two years, though England have won the three Tests they have played against New Zealand in the past three years.
New Zealand lock Maiakawanakaulani Roos says downing the Red Roses is their target, and having several players compete in England's PWR last season has aided their preparation. Roos herself played for Trailfinders, as did captain Georgia Ponsonby, with others like Liana Mikaele-Tu’u competing for Harlequins. Roos said, “We haven’t played them in two years and our game has grown so much and they have just gone from strength to strength. I am really excited to see how we go and turn up for the challenge that is the Red Roses. I think we have seen how each other trains, seen the habits that we hold and it is so competitive. I really cannot wait to play them just because we know how they train now and how they do things. I think that is a bit of a point of difference that the girls who have played in the PWR have been able to help our team understand.”
England’s goal this weekend will be to start a new winning streak, while New Zealand’s will be to make sure the Red Roses head to Canada in October with their world record firmly in the rear view.
