This weekend marks the end of a thrilling Women’s Six Nations (WXV) competition, with just four more games to be played. The highlight of the competition, however, has certainly been Canada’s unprecedented unbeaten run against England.
The Red Roses are the most successful international rugby team ever and are the current world champions, having beaten Canada comfortably in the final with a dominant 33-13 score. Just over a year later, Canada managed to do what they would have wanted to then: triumph over England. 17 October marked the end of England’s record-breaking win streak of 41 unbeaten games.
In the WXV Global Series, England faced Canada 3 times, with the first ending in a 26-26 draw. The second match was close, with both teams fighting hard for a win, and at half time, England was ahead 14-5. However, it was Canada who prevailed, winning 24-21 at home in Toronto. After the third match, which saw England lose by a larger margin of 9 points, Canada cemented their dominance, playing a phenomenal 80 minutes.
Both games were riddled with easily avoidable mistakes from England, with knock-ons and scrappy plays hindering their attacking chances. Meg Jones, England’s captain, was outstanding in defence, but a lack of cohesiveness made it almost easy for Canada to break through. That’s not to say Canada didn’t work hard, playing a formidable two games of rugby against the reigning world champions. The next world cup is three years away, but Canada have put in a wonderful effort to make their calibre known.
This marks only the 3rd defeat in 74 matches for England, so isn’t necessarily a cause for concern for John Mitchell, the England head coach. However, England’s inability to turn the first loss around, instead losing by more points in the second game, could suggest trouble. The Red Roses have been experimenting with their lineup, with their star winger, Ellie Kildunne, having been benched following the first loss. Mitchell said this was due to her going through difficulties in her personal life, and the fact that she can be an inconsistent player at times.
John Mitchell spoke out after England’s tough losses, stating losing “frees [England] up” as there is less pressure on the team now. However, he will have to get England back into shape before the Six Nations starts in April, as England have won the competition 22 times, and need to defend their title.
Photo by Chris Frankland-Wright on Unsplash
