The Red Roses backs had their names in lights, as they orchestrated a 12-try demolition of Italy yesterday in round two of the 2023 Women’s Six Nations. Fullback Abby Dow was at the heart of the action, as she contributed a staggering four tries, as the Red Roses went full throttle on the Azzurri.
The final score saw England victorious 68-5, with all but two tries coming from the backs. Marlie Packer’s two late rolling mauls, saw England resort to a tried and tested technique late in the match. Yet the proceeding 10 scores all came from number nine to 15.
Four from Dow, a hat-trick from right-winger Jess Breach, two for left winger Claudia MacDonald and one more for centre Tatyana Heard built a monumental score line as the Red Roses ran away with the match in Northampton. Abby Dow discussed the success of the England backs, and how well they gel together.
“As a back three unit we’ve been playing together for quite a while. It’s really nice that we’ve been able to get so much ball time., especially in the Six Nations. The girls, like Jess (Breach) and Claudia (MacDonald) you know there going to light up, and it’s just brilliant to be able to see all of us actually really take on and challenge ourselves. And I think we can only give that respect to the people on the inside (Holly Aitchison at Fly Half).
“As we were saying, your last cap was the last time you were starting at 10. You are always going to get different variations of style, when you have different 10s, it’s a different way of playing, and I’m absolutely here for it. Just getting hands on ball early, and being able to manipulate the space with time.
“As you can see, when we go out there, and I think we got 10 tries as a backs unit. I think we can go away and say, that Holly did her job, by getting it to us, and we did our job to finish it.”
Dow and Aitchison connect excellently in the attacking line, with their ability to read each others decisions on a telepathic level. Dow discussed how these partnership comes about at the England camp.
“Yeah it’s incredible, it helps that we’re roomies. So there’s often quite a lot of review, like ‘Holly, how does this go, how does this go?’ I think that we are actually as a back unit, getting really good synergy together, and you can see it on the pitch.”
The Red Roses had made a recent name for themselves as being ‘forwards-oriented’, with there revered rolling maul forcing back the toughest of opposition. However now, England look to be on the cusp of change, with legends such as Sarah Hunter ending their careers, and others entering their latter stage twilights, a new era is dawning for the Red Roses.
Simon Middleton is departing at the end of the Six Nations, with Holly Aitchison describing this as a ‘re-generation’, period, and discusses how this new England side have slightly altered their attacking approach.
“The feedback from the (2022) Rugby World Cup was to go a bit more expansive. I think were a bit more regimented at the World Cup, relying heavily on structure. So I think we have, with the (England) re-generation, getting new players in and trying to explore a little bit more. We’ve given a bit more power to the backs. I think we’ve often scored a lot of tries, with credit to that amazing driving maul, but we are now showing that as backs we are stepping up as well.
“I think it is also Midds doing a brilliant job of giving a platform, because with him departing at the end of the Six Nations, it is very easy that he could go out in a certain way. But actually what he’s doing is, for whoever takes that next role, he’s giving a platform of, ‘this is all the opportunity that you have with this team’ and that’s an absaloute credit to him.”
Aitchison made only her second start for England against Italy, yet plays like a veteran fly half that is wise beyond her years. England Head Coach Simon Middleton was delighted with the 25-year-old’s showing against Italy, and how she is mutually beneficial to the wider Red Roses side.
“She was absolutely outstanding today. That’s one of the best performances, balanced performances. She’s very different to 10s we have had, she’s definitely more like Helena (Rowland) than Zoe (Harrison), but at the same time she’s very much her own player.
“I just thought, she plays at the line, she’s got a great kicking game, but I thought the way she managed the game as well today, and she brings a whole different threat, and a whole different sort of dimension to the game, in terms of she gets the backs running.
“But she’ll be the first one to say, she relies on good ball from the scum halves. Both our scrum halves are putting the ball on a plate for her and very quick. Likewise their relying on the forwards to produce quick ball. So we’ve got a good dynamic in the group at the moment, everybody knows what were trying to do in terms of speed of ball, and everyone knows what their role within it is.
“We got large parts of right in the first half today, second half we got a lot more of it right, because we were a lot more patient with the ball.
“But, really thrilled for Holly, she’s such a quiet and unassuming person off the field, but when she gets on it, she really bosses the team around. She drives the team around the field, and that’s what you want. “
England’s new full-captain Marlie Packer also appreciated Aitchison’s efforts. The back-rower was impressed by how Aitchison has conducted herself, and risen to the occasion as England’s squad has been depleted through injury.
“She does lean on the rest of the leadership (team) to drive the messages that she wants, but that’s what the leadership group is about, delegating the messages that we need. She’s controlled training all week, from the game last week to this week, she’s gone on it a bit differently, and actually, the performance she put out today was phenomenal.
“You go she’s only going to grow as the tournament goes, but she’s got the whole team behind her, backing her, and loving the way she’s playing. So, yeah it was really good for her.”
Holly Aitchison also commented on her new-found leadership role, and how she has had to take great strides so early in her England career.
“A bit daunting if I’m honest. I’m kind of naturally a bit more reserved, so I don’t really tend to speak up unless I’m thrust into the limelight. It’s been a bit unusual for me to have that leadership quite early, I’m enjoying it, I’ve been really enjoying training, and yeah just taking it in my stride.”
Holly Aitchison, Abby Dow and the Red Roses will be back in action on the 15th of April. After a weekend off, Simon Middleton’s side head to Cardiff Arms Park, to take on Wales in round three of the the 2023 Women’s Six Nations.