Regardless of the drizzle within the air and greasy circumstances on the bottom, a dominant show from the Purple Roses noticed them run out 59-7 winners in a one-sided affair towards Scotland in spherical 4 of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
Six tries forward at half time, England have been barely in second gear going into the break. Scotland clawed a strive again within the second 40 and later within the half discovered the depth that had been missing for a lot of the sport, whereas England added an additional two tries and by no means actually broke a sweat.
Front Row – advantage England
From the first minute, the power of the English pack dominated and their front row turned that into a penalty advantage. Scotland’s line out chaos will be hard to watch back for hooker Lana Skeldon, while Lark Davies was, as ordinary, environment friendly and correct together with her throws and added a strive within the dying moments of the primary half.
Anne Younger, at loosehead prop for Scotland, was notably focused by her reverse quantity and was already receiving warnings after 5 minutes, conceding a second benefit to England that her Purple Roses equal, Kelsey Clifford, changed into a strive.
That such a dominant English entrance row would get replaced ten minutes into the second half may increase eyebrows, however with replacements the calibre of Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir and May Campbell, the domination continued unabated.
Second Row – honours even
Becky Boyd and Sarah Bonar mixed excellently for Scotland, contesting properly at lineouts, working tirelessly in defence and making some exhausting carries too. Bonar specifically repeatedly slowed down the English assault and may take into account herself liable for guaranteeing the scoreline wasn’t even greater.
Abbie Ward scored the Purple Roses’ fifth strive, utilizing her energy to propel her ball carrying hand over the road. In any other case, it was a quiet day on the workplace for Ward and her colleague within the engine room Rosie Galligan. They did nothing misplaced however their explicit model of exhausting tackling merely wasn’t required.
Again Row – benefit England
Marlie Packer’s fiftieth strive for England capped off a basic efficiency that featured all her best hits – exhausting carries, massive tackles and one eye on the strive line. That she was adopted simply a few minutes later by an ideal learn and steal from Zoe Aldcroft that noticed her run, gazelle like, up the sphere for a solo strive, epitomised the fixed hazard from the Purple Roses again row.
Evie Gallagher continues to be a shining gentle for Scotland. A demon on the breakdown and, within the absence of Rachel Malcolm, a frontrunner by instance.
Rachel McLachlan and Jade Konkel each labored exhausting however with out a lot success as their counterparts dominated. Gemma Bell, who made her debut with eight minutes left to play, had no actual alternative to indicate what she will deliver.
Half Backs – benefit England
Holly Aitchison packed her kicking boots for the journey to Leicester, changing each strive within the first half to make sure her workforce earned most factors and successfully put the sport away with 40 minutes nonetheless to play. She was a hazard with ball in hand too, her flat, bullet move is eerily predictable but appears to land in the proper palms virtually each time.
Lucy Packer stored her teammates ticking with a quick and dependable service on the ruck and though robust communication isn’t the flashiest of abilities, they’re so necessary and she or he does each flawlessly. When she was changed England leant on Natasha Hunt to be the catalyst for extra assaults.
Scotland’s Caity Mattinson and Helen Nelson got nothing to work with. Mattinson buzzed about and Nelson kicked properly when the chance introduced itself, however with out good ball from their forwards they have been neutralised.
Rhea Clarke and Rachel Phillips each got here off the bench to earn their first caps and Scotland followers will likely be hopeful that these younger gamers can present significant problem to the incumbents within the half again shirts.
Centres – benefit England
A few beautiful breaks from Jade Shekells confirmed why John Mitchell views her because the understudy for Tatyana Heard. She mixed properly with Meg Jones and the pair have been the pivot for a lot of English assaults. Emily Scarratt and Helena Rowland entered the sport within the second half and did what was wanted to see the sport out, however lacked the spark of the pair they changed.
For Scotland Emma Orr tackled properly and supplied tenacity and a stunning steal that her teammates did not capitalise on. Lisa Thomson, hanging off the again of a rolling maul, ensured Scotland wouldn’t be nilled as she managed to get beneath the English defence to attain.
Outdoors Backs – benefit England
If Claudia Macdonald hasn’t accomplished sufficient to earn herself a beginning shirt towards France, I don’t know what extra John Mitchell needs from his wingers. A continuing risk, she scored England’s fourth strive after a collection of beautiful attacking breaks. She added a second to open the scoring within the second half and continued to harry Scottish defenders and draw gamers, creating alternatives for her teammates as typically as for herself.
When Fran McGhie lastly acquired maintain of the ball, she made a stunning run that was finally snuffed out. Chloe Rollie labored tirelessly because the final (and infrequently solely) line of defence for Scotland and needs to be happy together with her effort within the hardest of circumstances. A late yellow card for a deliberate knock on confirmed how determined she was to dam each assault.
Ellie Kildunne was untroubled at full again, however quieter than you may count on when she had ball in hand, whereas Abby Dow noticed the ball half a dozen instances and made a penetrating run each time earlier than lastly scoring a world class solo strive as she powered via a number of tacklers to attain the eighth strive of the afternoon for the house aspect.
She added a second, after a stunning move from MacDonald, to place a bow on an important efficiency from England’s again three.
