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Key occasions
77 min: Participant of the match: Claudia MacDonald. An distinctive efficiency from the Exeter wing. Sensible individually however as acknowledged earlier, the workforce’s total effectivity has created the opportunites for her.
Attempt! 74 min: England 54-7 Scotland (Dow)
What a rating! Off the again of a defensive scrum, England spin the ball by means of a number of pairs of fingers over to the suitable wing. The ultimate cross is Kildunne to Dow, who has loads to do: from lengthy vary, she builds as much as prime pace down the road, powerfully fingers off two would-be tacklers, and jinks inside one other … and finishes after a scintillating run! Improbable stuff. For the primary time this afternoon, Aitchison misses off the tee.
71 min: Once more it’s Scotland who’re making progress. The No 10 Helen Nelson channels her inside Brian O’Driscoll and chucks a cross to herself, on account of a slight miscommunication within the again line. Scotland work by means of some extra phases however England, ultimately, win a scrum.
70 min: The confirmed attendance is 15,530. I reckon they’ve had worth for cash.
68 min: Defensive scrum for Scotland. Evie Gallagher makes a trademark bullocking run after gathering the ball off the deck. Scotland are making a number of inroads now and as Sara Orchard factors out, the second half taken in isolation is 7-7 in the meanwhile, as we transfer in direction of the ultimate 10 minutes.
66 min: Secure to say that the fluency of England’s first-half efficiency has pale considerably. They’ve scored one distinctive attempt within the second half however Scotland have managed to drive the floodgates partially shut.
62 min: Leicester-born Emily Scarratt goes to be subsequent on to the park for England. It’s her 118th cap and he or she provokes a giant roar from the group when she jogs on, changing Megan Jones.
59 min: England’s Shekells, Feaunati, Aldcroft have all left the motion. Morwenna Talling is on for Aldcroft whereas Alex Matthews, Natasha Hunt and Helena Rowland have all joined the fray. For Scotland McGhie, Younger and Skeldon are off for Scott, Martin, Bartlett respectively.
Attempt! England 49-7 Scotland (Thomson)
The followers adore it! Scotland have a attempt! It was a well-worked driving maul and England couldn’t preserve them out. Head coach Bryan Easson smiles whereas conferring together with his employees up within the stand. Nelson converts.
58 min: Scotland, lastly, are over the road! The referee goes upstairs, saying she has seen a transparent grounding among the many pile of our bodies, however desires to test for a knock-on. On-field determination is try to all of it seems to be OK to me …
56 min: However subsequent week be damned, what number of tries do England need right here? For now there’s some defending to do and so they repel Scotland’s newest advances with the identical enthusiasm they’ve introduced to each aspect of the sport at this time.
55 min: Choice for subsequent week’s Grand Slam decider in opposition to France is already shaping as much as be fascinating. There have been numerous top-draw performances from England, none extra so than MacDonald, who has two tries.
54 min: Might Campbell, Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir all come on for England as Mitchell freshens up his whole entrance row. The Bomb Squad.
Attempt! 50 min: England 49-0 Scotland (MacDonald)
I discussed earlier that accuracy, fluency and execution can be England’s intention. That had all of it. Sensational rating completed by MacDonald and transformed by Aitchison. Shekells makes the preliminary run, a pacy dart over midway on the England proper. The ball was recycled labored proper to left. There are excellent passes by Kildunne, Packer, Aitchison … and MacDonald scorches over the road down the left after the house is created for her expertly by teammates. Aitchison stays flawless off the tee. That is exactly the type of type England are searching for in World Cup yr …
49 min: Thomson seems to knock on with Scotland on the again foot, however the referee doesn’t object. England quickly have an opportunity to counterattack and Shekells will get fingers on the ball.
48 min: Rollie feeds McGhie on the left wing, a uncommon alternative for Scotland, however she knocks on. A waste, particularly in view of the shortage of possession for the guests.
45 min: Scrum for Scotland inside England’s half. An opportunity to bother the scorers?
43 min: Fran McGhie, who was distinctive within the win over Wales final month, brings the ball again out of the Scottish 22 with a mazy run. She makes a number of yards earlier than being dragged down.
42 min: Sunshine now in Leicester. Kildunne pumps a kick downfield and Lisa Thomson fields it within the Scottish 22 and clears. Feaunati wants some therapy, seems to be like she’s taken a nasty knock to the face.
Second half kick-off
Right here we go. Rearrange these two phrases into a widely known phrase: “Limitation” and “injury”.
“Scotland are defending properly, particularly near the contact line, however England preserve discovering a approach by means of,” emails Tim. “Equally Scotland marking Kildunne simply makes extra space for different runners. I can’t see them coming again.”
Me neither!
Ideas? You possibly can e-mail me.
Half-time studying from the Gallagher Premiership:
Half time: England 42-0 Scotland
Experimental choice? If that’s the case, it’s a remarkably profitable experiment.
Attempt! 39 min: England 42-0 Scotland (Atkin-Davies)
Sensible transfer on the contact line to maintain a ball in play by Kildunne. England are on the entrance foot once more with a lineout 5 metres or so from the road … Aitchison is introduced down initially and the ball is on the sluggish aspect. Scotland do what they will however once more the uncooked energy of England’s ball carriers is inconceivable to take care of. Lark Atkin-Davies crashes over and Aitchison makes it an ideal six out of six from the tee.
37 min: MacDonald is having an incredible day, and it’s credit score to England’s continuity within the center that they’re getting the ball out to her in house on that left wing with such regularity. England swap their newest assault from left to proper and Dow is almost over within the nook however she spills it ahead and has a foot in contact too. England have made 517 attacking metres to Scotland’s 128. The guests are in all types of trouble and so they desperately want a foothold of some type. Troublesome to see the place it comes from although.
Attempt! 34 min: England 35-0 Scotland (Ward)
Abbie Ward with No 5! Scotland fluff a defensive lineout. Galligan claims it. England are then camped within the Scotland 22 and it’s only a matter of time earlier than Ward applies the completion. Aitchison strokes over one other pretty kick off the tee. That is all going swimmingly for England, particularly compared the video games in opposition to Italy (spherical one) and Eire (spherical three) after they had been actually made to toil.
33 min: Dow feeds MacDonald who’s launched down the left but once more. Emma Orr pulls off a shocking faucet sort out although!
30 min: Like a punch-drunk boxer, Scotland bounce off the ropes and are available out swinging. They progress to inside a number of yards of the England try-line after an attacking lineout and so they assemble a good set play. However then there’s one other steal and it’s the scorer of the newest attempt, MacDonald of Exeter, who snaffles possession after which tries to smash by means of a sort out or two. Extra good things from England, in defence this time.
Attempt! 27 min: England 28-0 Scotland (MacDonald)
The England wing deservedly has a attempt after a severely vibrant begin! There was a touch of a knock-on by Aitchison within the buildup however the officers look pleased with it. MacDonald torches the defensive cowl with an explosive, jinking run into the 22 and dives joyously over the road. Aitchison nails conversion No 4. That is medical, punishing stuff from England.
25 min: England rumble to the road once more searching for No 4. They’re over, but it surely’s held up. Nice work by Anne Younger the Scotland prop.
Attempt! 21min: England 21-0 Scotland (Aldcroft)
That’s excellent from Aldcroft! Scotland have a good attacking place round midway and look to maneuver the ball proper to left. However the England captain rushes ahead out of the line of defense and steals a cross by Helen Nelson in midfield … the Scottish defence is nowhere and Aldcroft shows her spectacular athleticism to dash unchallenged to the road. Three out of three for Aitchison off the tee. That was top-class back-row enterprise from Aldcroft. Mitchell’s pre-match grievance about this workforce being labelled ‘experimental’ is trying legitimate: however the query stays, when, if ever, will he decide on a first-choice aspect?
20 min: Kildunne nips down the suitable wing now, and affords a cross inside for Lucy Packer, however she has a foot in contact.
Attempt! 17 min: England 14-0 Scotland (Packer)
It’s Packer’s fiftieth England attempt! The Pink Roses get a shove on at scrum time. Maddie Feaunati shepherds the ball for a number of moments on the base of the scrum, from No 8, then makes a run for the road. She is tackled however Packer then takes it up on the subsequent section and there’s no stopping her from that vary. One other good kick by Aitchison for the extras.
17 min: One other attacking scrum for England.
14 min: England are on the assault once more and this time it’s Scottish defence that’s impressively strong. Kildunne is wrestled to the ground after operating on to a fizzing cross. Then MacDonald grabs a excessive Scotland field kick with spectacular authority and steams down the left wing … however she passes straight to one of many overlaying defenders. Pretty take although.
13 min: England’s line pace and energy in defence is trying good. Scotland are doing their degree finest to make use of what possession they will muster however they’re being pushed again and scythed down relentlessly after they do get ball in hand.
11 min: England lose a lineout for the primary time on this match and Scotland have a sniff of an opportunity. However Sarah Bern nabs the ball out of a sort out and England can relieve the strain. On commentary for the BBC, Sara Orchard tells us that England received 45 lineouts in a row earlier than that. Set-piece dominance.
8 min: Scotland have a smidgen of possession. Chloe Rollie, the full-back, makes a dart on the guests’ left. A cross-kick is then aimed left to proper however England’s full-back Kildunne fields it effectively and likewise makes a number of yards on the counter, spinning nimbly away from a would-be tackler within the residence 22.
Attempt! 5 min: England 7-0 Scotland (Clifford)
That’s No 1. Energy and accuracy from England after an attacking scrum is reset and it’s an excessive amount of for Scotland to take care of when the ball is labored to the suitable wing. The determined visiting defenders look powerless to cease England getting over the acquire line with every carry and the seemingly inevitable result’s a attempt from shut vary for Clifford. Aitchison converts.
4 min: It’s all England up to now and shaping as much as be an extended afternoon in defence for Scotland. A Kildunne cross off her proper hand is meant for MacDonald but it surely’s low and forward of her teammate and spins out into contact.
3 min: Claudia MacDonald is quickly haring down the England left after a pleasant ball from Aitchison inside and Packer additionally offering a hyperlink in midfield. MacDonald is compelled into contact due to some stable ‘D’ on the fringes from Scotland.
1 min: It’s a cool and breezy day in Leicester and there’s a little bit of rain within the air. A knock-on from Scotland early doorways and England have a scrum within the guests’ half.
First half kick-off!
Holly Aitchison, sporting No 10 for England, kicks off.
The groups are out on the pitch in Leicester. Now for the anthems. A welcome blast of “Flower of Scotland” … and now Mitchell, within the stands, joins in with a rendition of “God Save the King”. Oliver Packer, Marlie’s son, is without doubt one of the mascots.
“I’ve heard elements of the written media say that is an experimental aspect,” says the person himself, Mitchell, on the BBC of his choice. “I feel that’s considerably disrespectful to this group. It’s a really athletic choice. Marlie Packer is without doubt one of the extra skilled gamers … she’ll definitely ‘put her head within the spokes’ and take the workforce ahead.”
“It’s all the time attention-grabbing,” the previous England Ladies head coach Simon Middleton says on the BBC, of Mitchell’s rotation coverage. “I’d have carried out it otherwise. John definitely does it his approach. He doesn’t appear to have any points in any respect, rolling the squad for no matter recreation it’s. That’s as a result of he’s acquired nice confidence in his gamers.”
Packer stays ‘invaluable’: Ward
The previous England captain Marlie Packer stays an “invaluable” asset as she prepares for less than her second look of this yr’s Ladies’s Six Nations.
The veteran Saracens flanker was stripped of the captaincy forward of the championship and omitted of John Mitchell’s squad for wins over Wales and Eire in rounds two and three.
Having began the match opener in opposition to Italy, the 2023 world participant of the yr has been recalled amongst 9 adjustments for the conflict with Scotland at Welford Street.
Pink Roses head coach Mitchell has been trialling completely different mixtures earlier than this yr’s residence World Cup, with Zoe Aldcroft, who changed Packer as skipper in January, the one participant chosen to begin all 4 fixtures. England lock Abbie Ward believes long-term worldwide teammate Packer, 35, continues to make a huge impact on and off the pitch.
“I don’t assume there was ever actually like a demotion; Marlie’s a improbable chief and all the time can be, whether or not she’s sporting that armband or not,” stated Bristol participant Ward.
“Even when she’s not on pitch, she brings her expertise. Usually you converse concerning the power that she has and that ferocity however she additionally has this different aspect the place she brings a calmness to the squad as a result of she’s been there, she’s carried out that, she’s been in robust video games, she’s been on the perimeters of big wins and likewise losses, and I feel that’s simply invaluable to us.
“However then when she’s acquired the shirt and he or she’s taking part in, she brings that animal, that’s when she brings that ferocity, that’s when she brings the power, the aggression that we’d like and we feed off as a workforce. Whether or not she’s taking part in or not taking part in, she’s doing what she’s all the time carried out, which is attempting to raise the whole squad.” (PA Media)
France have gone prime of the desk with 4 wins out of 4, after beating Italy earlier, however England will retake prime spot with a win right here. The Pink Roses’ factors distinction is +132 whereas France’s is +78.
Sarah Rendell
Two years in the past the criticism levelled at England was that their assault was predictable as they relied on their maul to get them over the road. When John Mitchell took over the Pink Roses earlier than the 2024 Six Nations, the pinnacle coach and his employees, significantly the assault coach, Lou Meadows, diversified that space of their recreation.
Workforce information
Continuity or experimentation? England have definitely opted for the latter. John Mitchell makes 9 adjustments with Jade Shekells given her first begin, at inside-centre, whereas Marlie Packer strains up at openside flanker. Maddie Feaunati is again in at No 8 with the captain Zoe Aldcroft once more at No 6, the one participant to begin all 4 matches within the match. Rosie Galligan, Sarah Bern and Kelsey Clifford additionally return to England’s beginning XV.
The Scotland captain, Rachel Malcolm, misses out with concussion and the pinnacle coach Bryan Easson has made two adjustments: Jade Konkel is available in at No 8 and Caity Mattinson assumes scrum-half duties within the absence of Leia Brebner-Holden, who can be concussed. Evie Gallagher switches to the blindside with Malcolm sidelined.
England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Shekells, MacDonald; Aitchison, L Packer; Clifford, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Galligan, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), M Packer, Feaunati. Replacements: Campbell, Botterman, Muir, Talling, Matthews, Hunt, Rowland, Scarratt.
Scotland: Rollie; Lloyd, Orr, Thomson, McGhie; Nelson (capt), Mattison; Younger, Skeldon, Clarke, Bonar, Boyd, Gallagher, McLachlan, Konkel. Replacements: Martin, Bartlett, Poolman, Ferrie, Bell, Clarke, Phillips Scott.
France produced a second-half fightback to beat Italy 34-21 and keep their 100% document within the Ladies’s Six Nations, establishing a possible Grand Slam decider in opposition to England.
Joanna Grisez’s early attempt had given France a flying begin in Parma, however after French lock Madoussou Fall was despatched to the sin-bin for a excessive sort out, Italy recovered to steer 21-12 at half-time following tries from Vittoria Vecchini, Aura Muzzo and Silvia Turani. Morgane Bourgeois additionally touched down for the guests.
France rallied within the second half, happening to safe a bonus level with tries from Romane Ménager and Marine Ménager earlier than the substitute Alexandra Chambon went over within the final minute – with Les Bleues now set for a possible winner-takes-all showdown away to England on April 26. (PA Media)
Preamble
England are three bonus-point wins out of three on this match and a possible Grand Slam-decider looms in opposition to France subsequent Saturday if at this time’s match in opposition to Scotland in Leicester goes to type. Scotland haven’t overwhelmed the Pink Roses since 1999 and have by no means defeated them within the Six Nations – they’re additionally depleted by damage and had been overwhelmed by Italy final day out. That explains why Scotland are, as kick-off approaches, obtainable at 200-1 to win on one betting web site.
For John Mitchell, the England head coach, this match is about putting a steadiness. He desires to attempt new lineups and partnerships earlier than the Ladies’s Rugby World Cup this summer season however establishing a settled aspect, and giving them an opportunity to fine-tune and groove these partnerships, also needs to be a prime precedence. As in fact is successful extra silverware.
England will anticipate to win, and win properly, however they’ve been examined at occasions on this yr’s match. Accuracy, fluency and execution can be their intention.
Kick-off: 4.45pm BST.
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