The RFU is marking a significant milestone: exactly a decade since England beat Canada in Paris to win a second World Cup.
A reminder of the team:
15 Danielle Waterman 14 Kat Merchant 13 Emily Scarratt 12 Rachael Burford 11 Kay Wilson 10 Katy Mclean (captain) 9 Natasha Hunt 1 Rochelle Clark 2 Vicky Fleetwood 3 Sophie Hemming 4 Tamara Taylor 5 Joanna McGilchrist 6 Marlie Packer 7 Maggie Alphonsi 8 Sarah Hunter
16 Emma Croker 17 Laura Keates 18 Becky Essex 19 Alex Matthews 20 La Toya Mason 21 Ceri Large 22 Claire Allan
And in particular Gary Street, the head coach, who has been suffering a serious illness in the past months. He is in the thoughts of all the players in action that day at the Jean-Bouin Stadium.
The result 21-9 looks clear cut. On the ground it was far less so; it took a remarkable solo run by Emily Scarratt to finally break Canadian defiance and let English fans believe in victory. It was twenty years after the only other success at the pinnacle.
And the Maple Leafs had drawn 13-13 with England in a pool match. So the post-match report read: “Improvements needed!”
Thereby hangs a tale
2014-2024, that’s ten long years.
We may doubt England would be celebrating so warmly if succeeding finals had gone their way too. But in 2017 and 2021 New Zealand confirmed their premier place in the firmanent with wins.
The reason for the Kiwis’ absence from that 2014 final was one of the landmark results in the history of women’s world cups: Ireland beat them 17-14, to inflict a first RWC loss for the Black Ferns in 23 years.
And since England’s win in 1994 was against the USA, till then world leaders in the development of women’s rugby, we still await a Red Roses win over the Black Ferns at the top level.
It’s pure chance that the next RWC tales place in England next year, for the first time since 2010. On that occasion the Ferns triumphed at Twickenham Stoop by the dramatically close margin of three points, 13-10.
It remains to be seen whether past history will have any effect on the new-style Red Roses. Though many of them have known only permanent success in the white shirt, another glance at the team-list above reminds us that several players will have history weighing on them. Scarratt was involved in the 2010 and 2014 affairs.
One more oddity: England have never lost to New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium. Even if they lose the next final 100-0, it won’t be at Twickenham; it will be at one of the Allianz Stadiums. So that’s all right.
