Sarah Rendell takes a weekly look at some important women players BRYONY CLEALL

Wasps prop Bryony Cleall had to watch England defeat New Zealand with record score lines from the sidelines. She picked up an ankle injury just six days before she was due to attend the Red Roses’ Autumn Internationals camp which saw her ruled out of all four matches.

She returned to action earlier this month in Wasps’ defeat to Loughborough Lightning and she is targeting an international return in the Women’s Six Nations in March.

Cleall says: “The timing was annoying. I was so excited for the autumns. I didn’t know anyone who wasn’t excited to play New Zealand. We hadn’t played them in so many years. There was even talk at the back end of the Six Nations last year, that if we had lost the French game New Zealand would have taken number one in the world. Yet they hadn’t played a Test in two years.

“So when we were going into the New Zealand games I remember being gutted that I wasn’t able to play them as they do have that special feeling about them.

“The fact I had played all the games for Wasps in the lead up and was playing well. That’s the most frustrating thing about it. Any time you are ruled out with injury you’re going to be frustrated.”

Cleall, the twin sister of fellow England player Poppy, faces tough competition for her shirt through the likes of Shaunagh Brown and Maud Muir. She says she’s focused on herself rather than comparing herself to others.

“It was only the other day I was thinking about the World Cup and you forget how many good players are going to miss out,” she adds. “They’re taking a squad of 30, I know they have increased it by two since the last World Cup but you forget how difficult it’s going to be to make sure you’re one of the best players.

“At the start of this year I was thinking I’ve been the best I can be. It’s no good watching what other people do and comparing yourself to other people because you don’t know what the coaches are thinking. My onus going into the next few months is who’s going to play the best? Who’s got the best form going into the Six Nations? You can play well for your club, get the nod for the Six Nations and play well in the tournament and you could have one foot on the plane to New Zealand. “It’s about what you do. Especially the props. We are all quite similar, we are all trying to be the best we can be. It’ll be interesting because there’s competition in every position but it wll all be based on who can play best for their club and therefore get the opportunity in the Six Nations.”