Red Rose day
Women must lay down marker in Italy
When England get their NatWest Six Nations campaign under way in Italy today it will mark the start of what I believe is one of the most important tournaments in the competition’s history. England will be confident that they can win a second successive Grand Slam – and I think they have every chance – but beyond that, this is a tournament where we will see whether the huge steps taken by the sport in 2017 were the start of something or a one-off.
Even a year ago I would not have imagined a women’s rugby international being broadcast live on terrestrial television at primetime on a Saturday night, let alone that it would be watched by 2.6 million people. England may have come up just short in that World Cup Final against New Zealand, but along with the success of the England women’s cricket and football teams it demonstrated to me quite how far we have come.
Now the challenge is to build on that success, which is why this year’s Six Nations is so vital. England played three games against Canada last autumn, but they barely registered in the wider consciousness, which worried me considering the wave of euphoria around the game after the World Cup Final. We need to shout about our sport and let everyone know about what our players are capable of.
It helps that England’s trip to France in round four will be a mouth-watering fixture and a possible Grand Slam decider. England will expect to go to Grenoble with a perfect record and I believe the French are the only side that can stop them.
That is despite the fact that this is an England team in transition. The RFU has made the decision to prioritise the Sevens game between World Cups, with the Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens taking place this year. That means that Emily Scarratt, Lydia Thompson and their like spent last week playing the shorter form of the game in Sydney rather than preparing for the Six Nations, and it’s a gamble I really hope pays off.
The forwards are largely unaffected, but if you have not watched England play since the World Cup then a number of the backs will be unfamiliar to you. I have a feeling that in Abigail Dow they possess a young wing who will be a part of the set-up for years, while there is still experience in the shape of Katy Daley-Mclean and Rachael Burford.
However, this is the start of a new cycle and England will need to build on the progress made last year. I expect them to play with a little more freedom, allowing their young players to express themselves and play what is in front of them, rather than just stick to a rigid system. But anyone who is expecting this to be a straightforward tournament for England is very much mistaken. We will learn so much about their new crop of youngsters by how they react when Italy come at them in the opening 20 minutes today, and very few of them will ever have been in an atmosphere like the one they are guaranteed to face in Grenoble on March 10. There could be as many as 12,000 there and it was always the type of game that stood out for me in my playing career.
The French are a serious side, and their back row is one of the best around. That said, I’d expect England to edge it – just – and go on to complete successive Grand Slams.
I am also hoping that we start to see some of the benefits of the new Tyrell’s Premier 15s competition. That is the revamped domestic league that has launched this season and has already had quite an impact. Speaking to the players involved, the standard is better and the games more even than they have been previously. That ensures the players are improving, rather than just going through the motions after securing an unassailable lead.
The English players will benefit the most, but a number of other nationalities are also represented in the competition. For example, the former French captain, Gaelle Mignot, plays at Richmond and she will doubtless be reporting back with inside information. The idea is that a rising tide lifts all boats, and I really hope that is the case with women’s rugby. The domestic competition is improving, which helps the clubs, the players, and therefore the national teams and the Six Nations itself. Coverage of the game is better than ever, which means sponsorship deals are more likely and the sport is then able to take another big step forward.
Now the pressure is on the players to show what they can do. We have already seen that in the past couple of days in games between Wales and Scotland and France against Ireland. Now it’s England’s turn and they will be desperate to lay down a marker. I expect them to do just that.
The need to maintain momentum is vital, both for the England team and for the women’s game in general. If the standard keeps improving and we find the talent and stories to build on a wonderful 2017, then this could be a special few weeks. Let’s hope it lives up to expectations.