Ellie Kildunne expects England to put on a show as they face France in the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final.
The Red Roses came into the World Cup mooted as outright favourites, and have more than lived up to their billing.
They topped Pool A with three bonus-point victories, hardly breaking a sweat in doing so, and brushed Scotland aside in the quarter-final.
Kildunne’s own tournament, though, has not been the glittering spectacle that was advertised.
She opened the campaign with a brace against the United States, but was rested against Samoa before suffering a concussion in England’s final pool outing, missing out as her teammates faced the Auld Enemy as a result.
But she has returned to the XV to face France, in what is a rather poetic comeback.
She missed England’s most recent competitive meeting with Les Bleues, a dramatic Six Nations decider settled by a single point, with a hamstring injury.
“It was tough,” she recalled. “More so because I love playing, I love rugby, I love playing at Twickenham.
“At that moment, I had to trust what my body and my mind was telling me. I knew I needed a break, but I had trust in the depth we had with the Red Roses.”
Loughborough Lightning’s Helena Rowland has done a fine job of covering Kildunne as she completed her return-to-play protocols, but the Harlequins star is looking to make up for lost time, and she knows England will perform when it counts.
She is so confident of that fact, she’s had the ‘showtime’ slogan emblazoned on the heel of her new signature line of boots.
“A game of rugby is more than just a game. It's entertainment, showtime.
“We work so hard in the gym, on the pitch, behind the computer screen, doing analysis to make sure moves are done right at the right time, to make sure your lines are perfect to manipulate a defender. If you can see rugby in that way, it's beautiful.
“If you can turn a defence inside out from a slightly subtle movement, it honestly is a show.
“This is not just a game - this is a show. We’re going to put on a show, we’re going to entertain, and if you do that, [you] put smiles on people’s faces [and] get smiles out.
“To have it on my boots, it's just a little reminder, it's showtime already.”
After recording four fairly routine wins at this tournament, an encounter with France provides the opportunity to entertain; to thrill. The stage is set at Ashton Gate, and the onus is on England to perform.
The greatest stage, Twickenham, awaits in the final.
The London Standard spoke with Canterbury ambassador Ellie Kildunne at an event hosted by the brand. As part of their ongoing mission to create boots that support elite performance, Canterbury have unveiled their new ‘White Pack’ boot. A versatile option designed for players in all positions, it will also be worn by British and Irish Lions stars Mack Hansen, Andrew Porter and Pierre Schoeman.
