Scotland Women 7 England Women 84

A record-breaking party for Scottish sport, and England’s Red Roses spoilt it. 

On the day of the largest standalone crowd for a women’s sporting fixture north of the border, England’s march towards an eighth successive Six Nations title continued with aplomb, as the world champions delivered a 12-try clinic at Murrayfield.

England were depleted but one might not have known, inflicting Scotland’s heaviest defeat in this fixture since 2011. In hindsight, and considering the extraordinary depth at John Mitchell’s disposal, it seems bonkers to bleat about an availability crisis but the truth is that no other side – women’s or men’s – in the world could manage England’s absentee list and maintain such dominance. Never mind England’s second team, their thirds would have a good shot at winning the Women’s Six Nations right now.

Three second rows – Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan – are pregnant, as is hooker Lark Atkin-Davies, while five others have suffered championship-ending injuries. Seven of the 13 forwards who played in last autumn’s World Cup final win were absent, including Alex Matthews, who is only a short-term loss, and England were down to what could be considered as a third-choice lock pairing and a debutant, Demelza Short, at blindside while Ellie Kildunne, one of the Red Roses’ superstars, started on the wing for the first time in white.

It made no difference. After a nervy start against a Scotland side bulwarked by record home support – there were 30,498 packed into Murrayfield, beating the near-19,000 who witnessed Scotland’s footballers defeat Jamaica at Hampden in 2019 – England ran riot. Zoe Harrison was immaculate both out of hand and with the boot (she was successful with each of her 12 conversions), underlining her status as the world’s best women’s fly-half. Outside of Harrison, both Emma Sing and Kildunne provided cutting edge, while Meg Jones, the captain, gave the visitors direction and momentum in the midfield.

What will have pleased Mitchell greatly, however, is how his callow forwards stepped up. Lilli Ives Campion had a tremendous match in the second row, leading England’s flawless line-out, while Short looked to the manner born at blindside, mixing deft and destructive touches to often devastating effect. The same must be said of Short’s fellow back-rowers, Sadia Kabeya and Maddie Feaunati, too, but that would surprise no one. It was England’s back row that set the physical tone with ball-in-hand and once the visitors were on the front foot, Harrison, Jones, Kildunne et al were able to run riot.

“A really good performance,” England’s head coach Mitchell said after their 35th straight Test win. “We have not allowed all the moving parts over the last two weeks to get to us.

“We are fortunate to have great depth but we are allowing new players to play which builds for now and the future. We know we’re near where we need to be. We’re still an unfinished rugby team in many ways so we will just keep going.”

On building a legacy, Mitchell added: “We don’t take that for granted. It’s a huge responsibility. We are a team that people want to come and watch and we take huge responsibility in setting that standard.”

Scotland, evidently, were outclassed in almost gargantuan fashion. The hosts were not expected to win but the chasm on the scoreboard came as a surprise. Further proof of England’s phenomenal depth, yes, but Scotland were, at times, exceedingly poor.  There is no way of sugar-coating it. Both Helen Nelson and Meryl Smith missed routine, one-on-one tackles that led to tries; the Scottish pack never came close to disturbing England’s line-out or breakdown while Scotland also missed touch twice from penalties.

“Disappointed,” Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm reflected. “You never want to see a scoreline like that. We need to dust ourselves off pretty quickly. We showed them too much respect and, at times, defensively, we were naive.

“But today was about so much more than just the game. For those who have been around for 10 years plus, we have come from a couple of hundred people in the stands [to today]. The reception was phenomenal.”

After Kildunne had crossed twice – the second her 50th try for England in 59 caps – and Jones got on the end of a sumptuous Kabeya offload, Kelsey Clifford wrapped up the first-half bonus point for England. Scotland, at least, managed a score of their own, and it was a peach, with Chloe Rollie regathering a chip-and-chase to feed Rhona Lloyd. Lloyd showed both Jess Breach and Kildunne a clean pair of heels to score.

That was all that the Scottish crowd had to cheer, however, as England clicked through the gears. Sing, Amy Cokayne and Marlie Packer all added to Sarah Bern’s brace, the second in two matches for the tighthead off the bench. Kabeya, Mia Venner and Haineala Lutui added late scores as England puffed out their chests and reminded all of the Red Rose-tinted hegemony.

Off the pitch, the Murrayfield attendance was evidence enough of growth in Scottish women’s rugby; on it, however, with no win against England since 1999, a mighty chasm remains between the Red Roses and the chasing pack.

Match details

Scoring sequence: 0-5 Kildunne try, 0-7 Harrison con, 0-12 Jones try, 0-14 Harrison con, 0-19 Kildunne try, 0-21 Harrison con, 0-26 Clifford try, 0-28 Harrison con, 5-28 Lloyd try, 7-28 Nelson con, 7-33 Sing try, 7-35 Harrison con, 7-40 Cokayne try, 7-42 Harrison con, 7-47 Bern try, 7-49 Harrison con, 7-54 Bern try, 7-56 Harrison con, 7-61 M Packer try, 7-63 Harrison con, 7-68 Kabeya try, 7-70 Harrison con, 7-75 Venner try, 7-77 Harrison con, 7-82 Lutui try, 7-84 Harrison con.
H-T: 7-35.

Scotland C Rollie; R Lloyd (Darroch 61), E Wills (Scott 42), M Smith, S Campbell (McGhie 47); H Nelson, L Brebner-Holden (Darroch 13, Brebner-Holden 25); L Bartlett (Swann 57), L Skeldon (Martin 60), E Clarke (Poolman 57), E Wassell, H Cunningham (Bogan 47), R Malcolm (capt), A Stewart (McLachlan 47), E Coubrough.
England E Sing; J Breach, M Jones (capt), H Rowland (Aitchison 61), E Kildunne (Venner 61); Z Harrison, L Packer (Robinson 63); K Clifford (Carson 51), A Cokayne (Powell 51), M Muir (Bern 51), A Burton, L Ives Campion (Lutui 57), D Short (M Packer 57), S Kabeya, M Feaunati.
Referee Zoe Naude.
Attendance 30,498.