Here is a look at the stats for the Red Roses 2019-20 season
Super Series
v USA 38-5 W
v Canada 19-17 W
v France 20-18 W
v New Zealand 13-28 L
Quilter Autumn Series
v France (A) 20-10 W
v France (H) 17-15 W
v Italy (H) 55-0 W
Six Nations
France (A) 19-13 W
Scotland (A) 53-0 W
Ireland (H) 27-0 W
Wales (H) 66-5 W
Italy (A) CANCELLED
Played: 11
Won: 10
Lost: 1
Total points for: 347
Against: 111
These bare figures tell a familiar tale. The Red Roses carried nearly all before them, only New Zealand once again proving too strong. A worrying feature is the number of really tight finishes, two in California, one in the autumn and – slightly less fraught – the 6 Nations clash in Pau.
Simon Middleton has said more than once that the positive aspect of those close games is the team’s ability to solve problems on the field, to pull through tough challenges. Here the huge bank of experience they can count on makes a big difference. But the question persists: why are they not able to put these games away more convincingly, considering the advantages they enjoy (professional status, high skill-levels and fitness)?
The obvious excuse is the number of injuries the squad endured. Almost a team’s worth of players couldn’t make the trip to the States in the summer. Two late replacements, Clara Nielson and Chloe Edwards, gained their only caps out there.
The ‘Scarratt effect’
The ‘Scarratt effect’ was called on far too often for comfort. From the series in California to the Ireland game she was central to England’s performance.
In the opening USA match in Chula Vista she snaffled possession to help set up Kelly Smith’s try. Later she intercepted an American pass to canter in. Against France she scored both tries and converted a late penalty from just inside the 10-metre line to rescue a 17-18 deficit. She scored all England’s 13 points against the Black Ferns.
Then into 2020 – there was a change of policy in the Six Nations: for once she took all the successful kicks at goal. In recent campaigns the task has been shared out with Katy Daley-Mclean and Zoe Harrison.
In Pau much of the game seemed to revolve round her. Katy Daley-Mclean offered her a series of switch-passes to send her through to threaten the opposition line, and Amber Reed produced the off-load of the tournament to put her away for the clinching score. In a Murrayfield snowstorm she calmly kicked her final conversion to break Daley-Mclean’s England points record.
Only in the final game (where she was captain) was she able to take a back seat and watch her side do the job without offering major contributions (just the 8 conversions!).
Despite outstanding performances by many of her team-mates, her contributions were vital to securing victory. It is rare in modern rugby to find a single player dominating matches as often she has done over the last year.
Her Stats for the Super Series:
3 tries, 4 conversions and 3 penalties
Total: 32 points
England’s total: 90 points
Her stats for the Autumn Series:
v France (away) 2 conversions, 2 penalties
v France (home) 4 penalties
v Italy 1 try 3 conversions
Her total points: 33
England’s total points: 97
Her stats for the 6 Nations:
Tries:
1 v France
Total: 5 points
Conversions:
2 v France
5 v Scotland
1 v Ireland
8 v Wales
Total : 32 points
Penalties:
1 v Scotland
Total : 3 points
Her total points : 40
England’s total points : 165