England’s women begin the defence of their Six Nations title at Castle Park in Doncaster on Saturday afternoon without two of their most recognised faces. Their captain, Sarah Hunter, will be an overqualified water-carrier against Scotland while Katy Daley-McLean, a former captain and the leading No 10 in the women’s game, has departed after announcing her retirement at Christmas.
Hunter is expected to return to the back row in Italy next week but Daley-McLean, with 116 caps and 542 points, will be a hard act to follow. England’s head coach, Simon Middleton, believes he has a ready‑made replacement in Helena Rowland of Loughborough Lightning, who wins her fourth cap and has been chosen ahead of the more experienced Zoe Harrison.
Middleton said: “I was surprised, not shocked, when Katy told me she was calling it a day as I had thought she would go to the World Cup. But she had had a child and looked how intense our programme was and didn’t want to let anyone down. It’s a shame because she had been our No 1 fly-half for all the time I had been here. She has been a sensational player but life moves on.
“Helena has come out of the sevens programme but she is an accomplished 15s player. She has a fantastic kicking game and blistering pace and a really good temperament. Zoe has looked good in training and may come back after these first two games and Katy’s departure has opened the door for the pair.”
Wales, meanwhile, are in Britanny where the uncapped duo of the tighthead prop Donna Rose and the scrum-half Jess Roberts make their international debuts in a difficult encounter against France in the Pool B game at Vannes on Saturday night.
It is England, though, who look a long way ahead of the chasing pack. They last lost when they went down by a point against the French in Grenoble three years ago, since when they have won two grand slams and turned into an impressive professionalised squad. But this tournament, with its new abridged format, is not straightforward.
Ordinarily, England and France would be expected to top their pools and meet in the play-off for the championship in three weeks’ time. But these are far from ordinary times. Stadiums will be silent and the pandemic is still making life particularly hard for the French. As England’s head coach acknowledges: “There are so many unknowns.”
England have been in a bubble in Doncaster since Monday and tested twice. After the Scotland game they move to Pennyhill Park, near Bagshot, before flying out to Italy next Thursday and go straight into quarantine on their return.
“We have had one or two positive tests in the last six months but everyone has had the all-clear this week,” Middleton said. “The medical staff have been outstanding. The tournament is now more like a knockout and not everything is clear-cut. There are different dynamics and training is unpredictable. But France have done quite a bit together and I’m told that Ireland have had 20 or 30 camps, so they should be well prepared.”
England’s captain has recovered from a hamstring injury. “She could have played this week. But she is the ultimate professional. Sarah was disappointed when I told her she was not in the side but she then insisted she brought the water and messages on to the field because she wants to be part of the action.”
Middleton has named Poppy Cleall at No 8 with Cath O’Donnell returning to the second row alongside Abbie Ward, née Scott, who is now married to the former Harlequin Dave Ward. Zoe Aldcroft, Lydia Thompson and Sarah McKenna all return and Emily Scarratt, last year’s player of the championship, will lead the side on her 93rd appearance for the Red Roses. Scotland will be only too aware that their recent record against England is not exactly encouraging and on their last visit to Twickenham two years ago they were beaten 80-0. But they are improving fast and last October drew with France at Scotstoun.
They will be without the key back-rower Jade Konkel, player of the match against the French in Glasgow. She is taking a break from rugby to train to become a firefighter. But their captain, Rachel Malcolm, is confident her side won’t be dousing fires all afternoon.
“In previous years I might have thought it was a daunting start against England but this year that’s not the way we’re thinking,” the flanker said. England, with memories of what happened when Scotland’s men last travelled south of the border, can’t say they have not been warned.
