Poppy’s 50th, Aitchison’s dazzling debut and Kildunne’s magic hands – A Red Roses round up from the Autumn series

The Red Roses head into the final weekend of their Autumn campaign with a 17-game winning run. Will the USA break it or can Simon Middleton’s side continue their impressive form on Sunday? In this weeks blog, I take a look at what’s gone well for the team, some stand out moments from the series and who’s made their mark ahead of next year’s World Cup in New Zealand. 

Last weekend’s game against Canada was watched by over 1M people on BBC Two, while 900,000 watched Arsenal v Spurs women on BBC One. Seeing hundreds of young girls cheer on the Red Roses at Sandy Park, Franklin’s Gardens and Twickenham Stoop collectively, has been hugely encouraging and makes next year’s World Cup in New Zealand all the more thrilling – women’s rugby really is on the rise. I have no doubt that this weekend’s game at Sixways Stadium will be any different. You can watch the final game of the series at 2.45pm on BBC Two. 

What’s gone well?

When analysing the three games the Red Roses have played, I noticed how dominant they’ve been in defence and have relished the physical battle up front on every occasion. Last weekend’s game showed just why they’re so good – despite the penalty count and some loose attacking play. Canada were there to play and defended England’s maul resolutely, as well as defending their own. Though Sarah Bern and Poppy Cleall were two influential players who took England over the line when it mattered. Canada were outstanding in attack, the scoreboard didn’t tell the full story but England found a way to win, it shows huge testament to where they are as a team. The drive to win is massive within the squad at the moment. 

The Red Roses kicking game has been top notch. Zoe Harrison has been influential throughout the campaign. Her kicking game is the best I’ve seen in women’s rugby for a very long time. Zoe’s consistency and accuracy from the boot has been sublime and I like the fact she has a bit of edge. She’s willing to give anything a go on the pitch – whether that be a grubber kick or drop goal. Her confidence has really grown in recent months. Physically she’s very good too. She’s been consistently playing well in the shirt and is a major part in the girls success this Autumn. 

England are very fortunate to have huge strength in depth within the squad. Not all teams are lucky enough to have that – as we’ve witnessed in this Autumn campaign. You can’t rely on just fifteen players and Simon is doing a very good job in building real squad depth. He’s fortunate enough to have three or four players he can pick in each position which puts the girls in great stead for next years World Cup. It’s a hugely exciting time to be a player and a fan and let’s not forget – Emily Scarratt, Sarah Beckett, Jess Breach and Bryony Cleall are players who haven’t featured yet due to injury – imagine how the squad will look when they return. Oh the joys of being a Red Roses fan!

Stand out moments 

Poppy’s 50th cap and match boots – The powerful back rower received her 50th cap last weekend and was outstanding against the Canadians. Her Grandma was in the stands watching her for the first time too. She also wore the most amazing boots which had her loved ones painted onto them – a really classy touch from @twocustomisers. You can find them on Instagram. The twenty nine year old who’s been nominated for Women’s World Rugby 15’s Player of the Year award, put in a tremendous shift and delivered some magical passes for her team mates to go on and score from. Her work rate is class, her footwork is neat but it’s the speed she moves at that’s impressive – you can see how hard she’s worked on her agility in recent months. She captained her country for the first time the previous week and is a huge force to be reckoned with – a true leader.

Ellie’s sublime pass to set up Abbie Ward’s try against New Zealand (first test) – It was in the first test against the Black Ferns where Ellie Kildunne sparked some magic. Kildunne didn’t receive the best pass from her teammate but managed to recover it by lightly flicking the ball up with her wrist to Abby Dow, who went on a rampaging run where she popped the ball up to Abbie Ward to score – it was one of the best tries I’ve witnessed in a long time. The Sandy Park crowd went wild and rightly so!

Holly Aitchison’s dazzling debut – Holly made her fifteen’s debut in the first test against the Black Ferns and it was a debut to remember for the twenty three year old after scoring a brilliant try towards the end of the match. The centre saw a gap in the Black Ferns defence and danced her way through to score under the posts – the perfect finish for the Saracens star. Her speed, tantalising footwork and ability to see space from afar, make her a talented player. She’s burst onto the England scene in style and I’m sure she’ll be given plenty more opportunities in next year’s Six Nations tournament. 

Who’s impressed this Autumn?

Abby Dow – The twenty four year old speedster broke onto the international stage in 2017 and has been hugely impressive in this year’s Autumn series. The winger who plays for Wasps Women in the Allianz Premier 15’s has scored a staggering 20 tries in 21 tests. She’s just been nominated for the international Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year for her unbelievable effort against France last year in the 2020 Six Nations. She’s a very well rounded player – exceptional in attack and defence, never seems to run out of steam, despite hot stepping most of the opposition. I love watching her as she’s unpredictable. Good at palming off defenders too – a brilliant series from the youngster. Abby Dow – take a bow. 

Sarah Bern – After almost a year out injured, Sarah Bern has come back with a bang. It took the twenty four year old just sixteen seconds to make an impact on her return against the Black Ferns earlier this month. Last week, she was scoring tries for fun and she put in a huge shift defensively – surprisingly quick too! I love her work rate and eye for space, she builds up a head of steam very fast, particularly in the shorter channels. It’s though she’s never been away from the international stage. A joy watching her as she always plays with a smile on her face.

Heather Cowell – The former gymnast made her debut for the Red Roses last weekend, scoring a spectacular try within the first five minutes of her being on the pitch. Cowell ended the half as she started it – by scoring in the corner as England attacked from a penalty in the closing minutes – a dream of a debut for the Harlequins winger. Simon Middleton will have a pleasant selection headache come next year if Heather continues to impress in a Harlequins and Red Roses jersey. I like how physical she is over the ball and again, she has a good eye for space – seems all too familiar. She was a gymnast after all. 

I for one have thoroughly enjoyed watching this year’s Autumn series and it was a pleasure watching the Red Roses defeat the Black Ferns at Franklin’s Gardens a couple of weeks ago. Don’t forget to tune in on Sunday at 2.45pm on BBC Two to watch the final game – it’s sure to be a cracker! 

Thank you for reading,

Elizabeth

If you enjoyed my blog, you can follow my social media channels – 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JournalistElizabeth/

Twitter: @ATRugbyUnion and @_ElizabethC99_