It’s a cliché – but these days you don’t lose: you learn.
Defeats are simply an opportunity to get better, and experiences are wasted if they don’t lead to moving forward. If evolution is the outcome, then don’t bother with the process, and it’s okay to end a winning streak if it sparks another. Capiche?
If we’re going with that, then the Red Roses – Canada finishing in a dead heat was the *perfect* result for the world champions.
Their undefeated streak – phew – continues, but 26-26 provided quite the wake-up call and forced England to great depths that have become, frankly, dusty.
They may indeed train harder than necessary to play every year in the parade that is the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, but many of them have never been in an amphitheater like the one they shared with the Canucks.
Then, before 60,000 on Saturday, they had to go to the very bottom of the well again, against the roar of the Black Ferns – and to watch them solve the problem, emptying those huge tanks, was sensational.
Even better: we could watch genuinely unsure whether or not it would be enough.
Red roses are cash registers. Red roses swinging on a rope? Enchanting.
Here’s another truism for you: knowledge is power.
As Meg Jones pointed out at full-time in Exeter – as sighs of relief echoed around a sold-out Sandy Park – England will ‘get a lot of feedback’ from ending their historic run.
We’ve since learned just how much the result stuck, and – in many ways – it felt like a loss, but their head coach was even more enthused about it than his captain.
“This is ideal for us: it’s about getting better,” he enthuses. “There’s a bigger purpose than just this test match.”
Indeed, we saw improvements as early as the following week: in their edge-defence, gain-line recovery and their relentless, choreographed pursuit of a last-minute penalty in Zoe Harrison’s range. The shot was not good, but we all know what happened next.
Their ‘win streak’ might be reduced to ‘one’, but their ‘unbeaten’ tally remains colossal – which is, really, all that matters. The Red Roses are becoming hard to beat – a team that will go around every corner of their feathered, crimson cowboy hat until they grab a rabbit. When life is a series of cake walks, it’s very hard to develop the ability to fight back with your back to the ropes – but, this month, they’ve had plenty of practice roaring off the canvas.
Two matches, against the biggest threats to their supremacy, in the space of eight days – during which the gap on the scoreboard never stretched more than seven. Between those epic encounters and the surprise arrival of the diminutive but all-powerful 59-year-old from Wigan – and England may have grown more this month than in years.
Aside from that critical two-inch development aside, here are a few golden nuggets we spotted this September:
Attack
This visibly develops, resulting in flashes of magic. There was such an appetite for the Roses’ support play and their unmatched desire to score, and that they managed ten clear breaks to the Black Ferns’ three – despite hardly having the ball, is a testament to what they are grinding under Emily Scarratt.
No nation has landed more this September.
Their carrying-cleaning becomes an unstable Achilles heel. Australia turned them six times, Canada nine, and New Zealand four (which is concerning, when you consider that England mustered only 50 attacking tackles). They’re as fast as anything from the deck, but only when they’re protecting it: across all 12 teams in the WXV series, England’s retention hand currently ranks a lowly eleventh.
Defense
“Everybody rave about Shaun Edwards!” – Meg Jones giggled from Saturday’s full-time socializing and – as is often the case – she was right. Her women threw themselves into 283 fights, finishing 90% of them – against a nation known for its agility, pace and power – which is nothing short of remarkable.
Edwards’ name came up again and again during the coverage of the weekend, and each time it was met with genuine warmth and respect. It can be argued that, suddenly, the Red Roses’ coaching card is stronger than England’s men’s…
Set-piece
We already knew their scrum was a monster. In the past two weeks, they have confirmed that it is – specifically – a hydra. Remove Mackenzie Carson and Sarah Berne, then out pop a beaming Maud Muir and a smiling Hannah Botterman – while Bryony Field and May Campbell bravely held the fort, baptized only in flame, in the titan’s absence.
If the coaching staff can get through Annabel Meta, Aisha Jah, Lucy Simpson, Hayley Jones and Amelia Williams – they will be anything but untouchable here.
Monstrous in a different way is their line-out, which (didn’t) work at 67% at Twickenham, and – no doubt – at the Canadian crossover.
Staff
Zoe Harrison is sure to win World Player of the Year.
She and Maddie Feaunati are the first names on John Mitchell’s team list – along with Meg Jones.
Hannah Botterman’s ability to steal the ball with her heels on her own chalk needs to be studied.
The absence of Abbie Ward and Zoe Stratford left a gap in IQ and accuracy within that pack that they have yet to fill.
Ellie Kildunne has the unique ability to spend the first half of a match slugging it out and then come up with a world-class moment in the second that changes the complexion of an all-time classic.
Mitchell conceded just one cap in this block, a testament to the caliber of the Roses’ opposition – as well as the fact that he left three substitutes unused on Saturday. Considering how good Jack Hanratty is USA The Women’s Eagles are on their way, and those future debutantes may not appear at all in 2026.
AOB
Their discipline was impeccable: a clean seven penalties per exit, and not a single card. So impressive.
That legendary ‘gap’ between England and the rest of the world is closing.
The PWR the trophy remains in London and we will probably get another Saracen-Trailfinders the final. Take a look at those two lists and tell us we’re wrong.
Next year’s British and Irish Lions tour just got even tastier.
