Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: England Pack to be ‘Scary
England’s Rugby World Cup Campaign: A Rocky Start and What Lies Ahead
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A Record Crowd Witnesses Early Nerves
The Women’s Rugby World Cup is off to a historic start, with England’s opening match drawing a record crowd of 42,723 spectators. This surpasses the previous high of 42,579 attendees who witnessed New Zealand’s victory in the 2022 final at Eden Park.
Despite the keen home support, England’s performance was marked by early nerves, particularly in handling restarts and a concerning number of handling errors during the first half.This was the team’s first World Cup on home soil since 2010, adding to the pressure.
Mixed Reactions to England’s Performance
The performance sparked debate among pundits. Former England captain and World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi sensed frustration from head coach John Mitchell, stating, “Mitchell is not happy with that performance.” Alphonsi emphasized the need for greater accuracy, noting that the team had six weeks to prepare but failed to fully execute their game plan.
However, Simon Middleton, who previously led England in the 2017 and 2022 World Cup finals, offered a more measured outlook. He suggested Mitchell would likely be pragmatic, acknowledging the inherent difficulties of an opening world Cup match.Middleton highlighted the positive aspects of England’s performance, including their discipline, aggression at the contact area, strong set-piece play, and impressive scrum.
squad rotation and Building Momentum
Mitchell has confirmed plans to rotate the squad for the second pool game against Samoa next Saturday, ensuring all players receive game time. While this approach aims to provide opportunities for the entire team, it could possibly disrupt cohesion. alphonsi believes the second group will be eager to demonstrate their capabilities and “build it up,” while Mitchell will expect a marked improvement in execution.
England boasts an impressive recent record, having not lost a match as their defeat to New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final, maintaining a 28-game winning streak. They were last crowned world champions in 2014.