Red Roses stars ready to bloom

As organisers have heralded in the recent build-up - ‘England Expects’ - both on and off the field.

Defeat in the last World Cup final by New Zealand, left the Red Roses not only deflated, but with plenty to ponder moving forward.

It was for many, a tough pill to swallow at the time, but their response has been nothing short of emphatic.

In the Six Nations they have again ruled the roost, hot on the heels of them being crowned inaugural WXV1 champions with a 33-12 victory over the Black Ferns in Auckland.

It’s little wonder there will be huge pressure placed on head coach John Mitchell and his players next summer to ensure home comforts ultimately bring home success.

For two of those hoping to be part of Mitchell’s plans, they cannot speak highly enough of the New Zealander and the impact he has had since taking charge of the Red Roses.

“I think he’s been great and he’s brought a renewed energy to the squad,” said Bristol Bears lock Abbie Ward. “Having been out of camp for a year, coming back in and working with him and so many new staff, you could see a real difference. He’s brought a new level of detail, not just through himself, but with all the coaches and together we’re all seeing the game in a different way, which is fantastic.”

It’s a point echoed by Ward’s international team-mate, Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt, who has also highlighted the man-management skills of Mitchell.

“For me, player management is huge and that’s something that Mitch has got bang on at the moment,” said Hunt. “He gets people, he’s emotionally intelligent and that’s everything that we’ve wanted for a long time. I think you see the fruits of his work when we go out because we’re just encouraged to have that freedom to go out and express ourselves.”

For both Hunt and Ward, though, the chance to feature in a home World Cup is something that are both keen to savour, especially as the women’s game continues to grow.

“It’s crazy how the game is growing,” added Hunt. “Running out at Twickenham in front of 60,000 people, it’s something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. To be talking about sell-out Twickenham for game, just talking about it gives me goosebumps.

“Every year my mind’s blown a bit more about where the game is and how far it has some in such a short period of time. It’s ever-changing and it’s moving so fast that if you’re not on board with it, get on board, because otherwise you’ll miss the boat.”

And a large part of that growth has been down to the standard of the Premiership Women’s Rugby, which Ward insists is improving year on year.

She will lock horns with Hunt in next  Saturday’s grand final between holders Gloucester-Hartpury and Bristol Bears at Exeter’s Sandy Park.

“I think the PWR is the best league in the world,” said Ward. “It’s funny because you used to think international rugby was such as step ahead from any club rugby, whereas now there’s no easy game.

“The games are not only physical, but they are hugely competitive and just raising standards all the time. You can see the wealth of talent across the teams is there and that’s just feeding back into international rugby as well.”

‍