As France are going to be the last to disclose their squad, I’ll leave them to a later posting.
Italy
Disturbing news has emerged from Italy, as yet unconfirmed, that the contracted Azzurre were not paid in January or February. This comes as a huge shock and setback. We may cautiously hope there is a simple answer to the story, but if it is true, it paints the FIR in an uncomplimentary shade of black.
You might claim that hard times can inspire a team as well as deflate it. If it is also true that the council charged with awarding the contracts didn’t meet during those two months, then we have to ask why. This leaves all the players in an unwelcome vacuum.
Some Background
For a period Le Azzurre came to rely on an ever ageing squad; so much so that Sara Barattin was able to gain a record 111 caps. Fine player as she was, that stat points to a lack of strong competiton for the 9 shirt.
Over the last two years Nanni Raineri has been refreshing his team. It is still dependent on too few clubs, but then, so are many of their rivals. The essential is for the younger generation to prove they are the equals of, or better still, superior to the players who served the nation so well.
They have one high hurdle to overcome. Their first fixture is home to England, whom they have never beaten. But their record against the other four countries is far better. A number of the squad play in the English PWR and French Elite 1. That can only help raise standards, but the prime need is to strengthen clubs at home, right across the country. That is easier said than done.
The newly established Latin Challenge, involving two franchises under the brand-names Benetton and Zebre, will have benefited them less than their two Spanish counterparts, Sitges and Valencia. Only four matches took place, and they won three of them. They certinly helped the selectors to assess a wider pool of players, but fixtures against teams from other members of the 6N would benefit them even more.
Last year the Azzurre won a single match, against the luckless Irish. This year they have three home games to set the record straight.
They can play a most exciting brand of rugby, full of invention and daring. In that respect tney resemble the French, but like them, it can lead to unwanted errors which prove costly. Their best known player, Beatrice Rigoni, exemplifies the style. She can produce magic, but some of the tricks finish up more Tommy Cooper-like than she would wish. Raineri must be looking for a sensible balance between risk and security.
And he has yet to find support forwards to continue the good work of his first-choice pack. In the backs Michela Sillari is soundness itself off the tee, and in Alyssa D’Inca Italy has discovered a winger who knows her way to the line.
Their full squad can be seen here.
England
On 22 February the odds on the Red Roses walking off with another Grand Slam shortened even further. Both Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning) and Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers) were listed to play for the first time in ages. It was to be Cokayne’s debut for the PWR newcomers.
Both were omitted from the original training squad announced in January. Their return raises the competition for places in John Mitchell’s final selections; players who may have felt they had half a chance of being included are looking over their shoulder.
Change is in the air. Simon Middletion was in charge for a remarkable 86 matches. Now the new man Mitchell takes over; his one difficulty is to decide who to choose.
As with every team, there are absences to regret. All English fans wanted to see Sarah Bern play No 3, No 13 and No 14 in the same game. That is not to be, but into her place comes Maud Muir, who is a very passable imitation of the default version.
Much will depend on how Mitchell plans the series. If he wants simply to win every match with the strongest possible side, then players’ chances of taking the field grow fewer. But more probably he’ll take a line similar to Middleton’s, refreshing the 23 each round, coupled with the aim of discovering the very best combination for the big test, France away in Round 5.
Even more fascinating for fans is how he wants to see his team play. At one extreme it could be ‘Defence comes first and last!’ At the other, ‘Play with total freedom!’
As for the back-line: perhaps duelling sessions might be the answer. One by one rivals for the same position will suffer painful defeat. If that sounds too drastic, then I leave you to make your own choice.
Even in the WXV final the Red Roses pack had an answer to the Black Ferns at every stage. In the Six Nations there will be strong packs, but very few that can retain maximum strength when the bench is emptied. That is one ongoing advantage the Red Roses possess.
Make your mind up!
Right. My own side-by-side teams reveal personal preferences (you might call them prejudices). But whichever 15 you choose, you can see the desperate choices Mitchell and his advisers have to make. I have assumed that certain players will overcome injuries:
15 KILDUNNE SING
14 DOW BUCHANAN
13 SCARRATT M. JONES
12 ROWLAND HEARD
11 BREACH GREGSON
10 AITCHISON HARRISON
9 HUNT WYRWAS (I would have chosen Infante)
1 BOTTERMAN CARSON
2 ATKIN-DAVIES COKAYNE
3 MUIR CLIFFORD
4 ALDCROFT GALLIGAN
5 WARD CUNNINGHAM
6 KABEYA BECKETT
7 M. PACKER ALLEN
8 MATTHEWS P. CLEALL
And just for the record: Scarratt’s return adds 108 caps, 57 tries and 745 points to the mixture. Four more tries, and she equals what is believed to be England’s record, set by Sue Day.
Fixtures
It’s England’s turn to have only two home matches. The RFU bravely opted to host Ireland at Twickenham Stadium. It will be a challenge to match the size of crowd attracted to the France game last year, but there’s every reason to feel confident of a big turnout. The fans will want to take every opportunity to see their favourites.
Confidence is boosted with the fact that by 1 February over 10,000 tickets had already been sold for the other game against Wales at Ashton Gate, Bristol. That’s highly encouraging. We have got used to 5-figure numbers, but they need to be maintained and increased.
The England Squad:
Forwards (18)
Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Beckett, Hannah Botterman, Delaney Burns, Poppy Cleall, Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Liz Crake, Hollie Cunningham, Lizzie Hanlon, Daisy Hibbert-Jones, Lilli Ives Campion, Sadia Kabeya, Sharifa Kasolo, Maud Muir, Marlie Packer, Connie Powell, Abbie Ward
Backs (16)
Holly Aitchison, Brooke Bradley, Sophie Bridger, Jess Breach, Katie Buchanan, Abby Dow, Sydney Gregson, Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt, Megan Jones, Ellie Kildunne, Vicky Laflin, Lucy Packer, Helena Rowland, Emily Scarratt, Emma Sing
Collectively they hold 788 caps.
Unavailable as yet: Zoe Aldcroft, Rosie Galligan, Tatyana Heard, Alex Matthews and Ella Wyrwas.
All these considerations leave Mackenzie Carson, Lizzie Duffy, Claudia MacDonald, Cath O’Donnell and Morwenna Talling out of the picture. It would be nice to think that at least one or two could appear.
