Resilient Red Roses Overcome Adversity in Decisive Six Nations Victory over Italy
On February 25th, in Parma, a reduced squad of 14 Red Roses demonstrated tremendous resilience as they clinched a decisive victory over Italy in their Women’s Six Nations opener. The memorable day transpired when Sarah Beckett, the number eight, received a red card upon the TMO’s intervention, making it the first instance a woman has faced such a consequence in rugby union via the ‘bunker’ system. Despite playing with one less player, the reigning champions remained steadfast and extended their winning streak to six consecutive Six Nations titles.
The Red Roses initiated their assault with Hannah Botterman and Abbie Ward charging over the Italian tryline, propelling them to a 10-point lead by halftime. The second half unfolded with an avalanche of six tries from the visitors, graced by Ellie Kildunne’s brace, an individual effort from Lark Atkin-Davies, and impressive scores by Helena Rowland, Mackenzie Carson, and Connie Powell.
“We responded really calmly… It’s testament to this team that they are able to play with 14, eventually 13, players.”
- John Mitchell, Head Coach
But England’s triumph was not without its share of adversity, as discipline issues resurfaced when Rowland was sent to the sin-bin after a high clean-out. However, this particular infringement did not escalate to a red card, following a review. Head coach John Mitchell commended his players for maintaining composure in the face of adversity, declaring, “We responded really calmly… It’s testament to this team that they are able to play with 14, eventually 13, players.”
As they chase their third successive Grand Slam, England anticipates a stiff competition against Wales at Ashton Gate on Saturday, while Italy faces Ireland on Sunday, aiming for a repeat of their solitary triumph last year. In the prelude to the 2023 Six Nations, Italy unveiled the allocation of 22 professional contracts, but their journey towards reaping similar benefits to England’s professionalism is still in its infancy.
England, driven by their ardent pursuit of rugby excellence, delivered an action-packed opening 40 minutes against Italy. But it was not without hiccups, as the Red Roses grappled with accuracy issues and repeated first-half errors, ultimately containing the scoreboard pollution to 0-10.
Discipline woes haunted the Red Roses early when Sarah Beckett was sent off following a hazardous ruck clear-out that injured Italian centre Michela Sillari, prompting an immediate switch to their signature forward-propelled style. After weeding out their earlier woes, England’s professionalism surfaced, partly due to the impact generated by their substitutes. The tide turned for good when Ellie Kildunne accelerated down the wing, executed a flawless around-the-fullback maneuver, and sealed a well-earned bonus-point triumph.
While Rowland’s performance embellished with a scintillating weaving run, the Red Roses’ goal-kicking precision called for enhancement, with only four conversions materializing from their seven scoring attempts. Undoubtedly, Zoe Harrison’s return after her knee injury, culminating in a difficult day at the tee, further illustrates the side’s room for improvement.
Since overpowering Italy in their past five encounters, England’s 48-point rout offered mild solace for an improving Italian side. The lineups for the day comprised:
- Italy: Ostuni Minuzzi; Muzzo, Sillari, Rigoni, D’Inca; Madia, Stefan (capt); Maris, Turani, Seye, Fedrighi, Tounesi, Locatelli, Sgorbini, Cavina.
- Replacements: Gurioli, Stecca, Gai, Pilani, Duca, Frangipani, Stevanin, Granzotto.
- Sin-bin: Emma Stevanin (82)
- Sent off: Beckett (11)
- England: Kildunne; Dow, Rowland, Scarratt, Breach; Harrison, Packer; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Clifford, Aldcroft, Ward, Kabeya, Packer (capt), Beckett.
- Replacements: Powell, Carson, Muir, Feaunati, Matthews, Hunt, Aitchison, Jones.
- Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau (France)
- Sin-bin: Rowland (69)
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