Jones the Rose gives Welsh the runaround
WELSH rugby fans were smarting earlier this year when Cardiff-born wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso opted to play for England this year and took to international rugby like a duck to water.
It was even more galling for Wales that another player raised on the western side of the
Severn led their women’s team a merry dance here yesterday.
Red Roses centre Megan Jones, like Feyi-Waboso, was born and raised in Cardiff. Not only that, but she is a fluent Welsh speaker too. In Bristol she wore the white shirt of England and tore the Welsh defence to pieces as her team made it two comfortable wins from two in the Women’s Six Nations.
Jones made two brilliant firsthalf breaks and more than showed her worth in the absence of Loughborough Lightning’s Helena Rowland, who is set to miss the rest of the championship with a broken hand.
As against Italy in round one, England didn’t hit the heights they are capable off, although they still scored four tries in each half.
They remain miles ahead of Wales and forwards Maud Muir, Zoe Aldcroft — winning her 50th cap — Hannah Botterman and Lark Atkin-Davies all crossed in the first period for a 24-3 interval lead.
Wales were full of endeavour but despite their women’s players turning professional in 2021, they still have significant work to do on conditioning to match teams such as the Red Roses.
Their basics, particularly the lineout, were poor.
England head coach John Mitchell said: ‘The variety of the scoring was positive and there is still a lot more growth to come.
‘We can be more urgent and continue to improve our skillset under pressure.’
The difference between the two sides was evident when, with Wales pushing hard for a first-half try, England turned the ball over. Jones made a searing run from her own 22 and it laid the platform for Botterman’s close-range effort.
England had few problems, although scrum-half Natasha Hunt was penalised for failing to use the ball quickly enough from the base of a ruck under one of World Rugby’s new refereeing directives. It was interesting to see England wing Abby Dow standing next to No10 Holly Aitchison while she was kicking at goal. Dow was handing out kicking advice.
Full-back Ellie Kildunne grabbed a brace and Dow also went over in between trying to help Aitchison with her kicking. It didn’t seem to work as Aitchison landed only three of eight conversions.
Player of the match Rosie Galligan also scored in front of a crowd of 19,705, which showed the continued growth the women’s game is enjoying in England.
It was a record attendance for a Red Roses game on home soil away from Twickenham.
Keira Bevan did get one back for Wales from a quick tap penalty.
Their head coach Ioan Cunningham said: ‘The effort was unbelievable. We have to be more clinical and show more composure. You can have 100 phases but it’s about crossing the line.
‘Fair play to England, they score quickly and the scoreboard can get away from you. To go to the next level we have to take opportunities.’