Now that World Rugby has published dates and locations of the WXV, we can trace the Red Roses’ path forward a little more clearly.
The fixtures for Tier 1 will take place in Aotearoa next October and November. That offers five months of preparation. But the new Head Coach has other responsibilities which prevent him from taking charge at once. That makes his choice even harder to comprehend.
In this most unfortunate hiatus we must assume that Louis Deacon will take charge of preparations. Charlie Hayter is now head of women’s performance, so he too will presumably have a say in matters. We can expect the two other assistant coaches, Lou Meadows and Sarah Hunter, to offer their pennyworth of advice too. Let’s hope for a meeting of minds.
The immediate future offers the last four rounds of the Premier 15s, starting on the weekend of 13-14 May. The final doesn’t take place till the weekend 24-25 June (Kingsholm, Gloucester).
Whether the Red Rose squad will be allowed to participate in any or all of the fixtures is an important issue, one that may well involve dissension. Players won’t want to miss out on helping their clubs to finish as strongly as possible, but bodies deserve a well-earned rest.
There will be only thirteen weeks between that final and the start of the Tier 1 fixtures.
England has not known an upheaval of these dimensions since Simon Middleton and Scott Bemand took charge eight years ago. How can the Red Roses be expected to achieve a unified approach to the game when not one, but two coaches will introduce their own strategies and tactics over such a restricted time-scale?
By contrast, once he was put in place Wayne Smith had full control of the Black Ferns squad. It’s hard to argue that the RFU has managed events as competently as the players had a right to expect.
Then there is the question of contracts to be decided. As was bound to happen within a thriving squad, new faces have shone through. Sadia Kabeya is but one whom everyone expects to receive a first contract. But at whose expense? Or will the RFU increase the total number?
At some stage comes the business of sifting the strongest possible squad for the WXV. It will be a hard task beating the world champions on their own patch. It’s happened before, but not for six years.
A reminder
The dates of the Tier 1 fixtures are: 21 and 28 October, 4 November.
