England prop Sarah Bern was a stand-out player for the Red Roses this past weekend. The Bristol Bears star got the capacity crowd at Franklins Gardens on their feet, in an attacking performance that few had ever seen from a front-rower.
Bern put in an inspired performance against Italy, and did not at all look out of place in the wide channels. Bern played like an additional centre or fullback, contributing to the flow of the attack with fast hands or going alone into space. The 25-year-old made 14 carries in 65 minutes against the Azzurri, racking up an impressive 138m with the ball in the process.
England Head Coach Simon Middleton was asked if it was a deliberate tactic to play Bern out in the backs. Middleton joked at the remark, but appreciated the important impact Bern has on the front foot, as she contributed two try assists against Italy.
“Our fourth back-three player she is now! We work a lot on holding our shape, and holding forwards. It’s not just about the backs being on the edge, we promote a lot about trying to get our forwards on the edge. We’re trying to get our most dangerous runners in space, and fortunately we’ve got a lot of dangerous runners, Bern is one of them.
“We hand it over to the players a little bit, we don’t ‘paint by numbers.’ It’s like, depends on who’s in that area in that particular time, and she (Bern) likes holding the edge and running in space, so it’s fine. And she’s such a destructive player when she’s got the ball in her hand. She’s a really good decision maker as well, some of the passes, and the timing of her plays are really good.
“Yeah, I had a quick word with her, so she’s got to scrummage in the middle, and run with the backs on the edge, and that’ll be it now.”
Sarah Bern has previously played in the centres, shining in the 12 and 13 jerseys all the way through her junior career. Bern’s positive personality shone through, as she discussed in a delightful story, how she first moved into the forwards as a back-rower, and how the eventual move to prop came about.
“I got forced into it! I played probably all my U18s as a centre, and then I went to Hartpury College and became a back-row, began my U20s career as a six. I was in the U20s camp and Matt Ferguson sat me down and said ‘I want you to come into the senior squad,’ I was like ‘great’, and he was like, ‘as a tight-head’, and I was like ‘no!'”
“And I said ‘no’ the first time, and he sat me down again the week after, and was like ‘look there’s a chance for you to come to the World Cup, you can take it now, I’m not saying you wouldn’t get there as a back-row, but I’ve got brilliant back-rows’. And to be fair, we have a history of amazing back rows. I said ‘OK, fine, as long as I can still play sevens.’ And I haven’t played sevens since that conversation!
“But yeah, he put in a lot of work with me, it was a short turn-around since the 2017 World Cup, so I had to learn how to do that craft. I think any prop will tell you, especially if you did move (to prop) you do have a lot of imposter syndrome, every scrum is different and you’re always, always learning. It’s important to acknowledge that it’s a very difficult position to be in, the front row.
“Still for me, playing in the centres is where I like to think of myself, even though I didn’t always get to go there. It’s my spirit animal!”
Bern’s story lit up the media room at Franklins Gardens, as the tight-head laughed whilst discussing her career path to the Red Roses. Bern was definitely a stand-out player in the landslide victory over Italy, and the Bristol star was delighted to be entrusted with the chance to attack as freely as she did. She jokingly denied being England’s ‘Fourth back-three player’, but was thrilled with the overall team performance.
“No, definitely not! It felt tiring to be honest, but no it was really good! I love attacking, and if I can get the opportunities to get my hands on the ball, it’s probably the thing I enjoy the most about rugby, as well as scrums, but there not quiet as exciting!
“No, just really happy with how England are playing at the minute, and we’re getting the back three on the ball, I think our back three are amazing, and probably the best in the world. So, we need to get them on the ball, so they can score as many tries as they can, like Jess (Breach).
“It was one of those days where, the opportunities were in the wider channels, that just happened to be where our players are put. And, I think a lot of it is down to our injuries, so my role slightly changed, in terms of playing a little bit more off of the back of the lineout, and in the kick-off receives. So I think, just the opportunity popped up, yeah really happy to take it to be honest.”
Bern is not the only Red Roses prop to have made the transition from the backs to the forwards. The move seems to be a common ploy in the England camp, as Simon Middleton’s front-rowers are well-versed with running lines in attack when they first arrive. Bern talked about how this tactical approach benefits the Red Roses offensive structure, and the other England props who have played in the middle of the park.
“I think now, we’ve probably got a lot of props that have probably played centre before. You’ve got Hannah Botterman who, we used to play centre against each other, we’ve got Mackenzie Carson who also used to play centre. I think that’s kind of what England pride themselves on, having props that may have been exposed to those different positions, so they can hit those lines, and they can make those handling off-loads.
I think it is something that we really, really work hard on aswell in camp. So, it’s not so much we ask for advice, I think we just kind of push it together. As a whole forwards pack, you’ve got some of the best handlers and ball carriers in the world.”
Definitely one of the strongest performers for England against Italy, Red Roses captain Marlie Packer discussed her teammates’ impressive outing. Packer agreed with the approach that Bern ‘channelled her inner back’ in the game against Italy.
“Yeah (she needs to be) super fit. But she prides herself on what she does off the pitch. The detail she does in the gym, the nutrition that she puts into her body, that’s something that she really prides herself on. She doesn’t just do it for herself, but she raises the group. You know, players like her in and around the squad, really raise all of that. So it’s not just the on-field stuff, it’s the off-field stuff.
“And full credit to her today, when she had ball-in-hand she was beating defenders and running like a winger. So yeah, great game for her.”
England’s flying winger Jess Breach also commented on Bern’s game. Breach joked about having previously played against Bern in the prop’s ‘centre days’, and re-called how tough of an opponent she was to take down, as the two England stars came through the ranks together.
“Definitely, I’d hate Berner running at me in the channel! Reiterating ‘Berner’s’ point, I think it’s really nice to see that we are playing edge rugby. In the past, we have had really good back three players, and they’re still playing now, but we didn’t facilitate them, I think that’s definitely what we are doing now.
“It just showcased, that we can play really good edge rugby, but also have the brutality in the middle. And I think that just showcases the roundness of us, as a team.”
“She was horrible in the centre as well, I used to play against her and it was awful!”
The centre of attention in the post-match discussions, England’s Abby Dow also talked about Bern’s performance, and what she brings to the team.
“So, I think a great one for us, is that we’ve all come through the system together. And Sarah Bern was not a tight-head prop back in the day, she was a centre. And actually, she’s got that rugby player mindset of actually being able to use her feet, instead of just using the brute strength that she already, innately has.
“And with that, she’s able to hold her feet, for you to take her timings off her. And she’s able to manipulate space for you as-well, you know, she can easily run over the person in front, she’s just got that great mind set, to actually play with us in the width.”
Sarah Bern and the Red Roses will be back in action on the 15th April. England take a break from their 2023 Women’s Six Nations campaign for the Easter weekend, and return to face Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.