Now we know who will represent England in the coming 6 Nations. What we don’t know is who will go on to enjoy a home World Cup.
This is John Mitchell’s choice:
Forwards
Zoe Aldcroft (captain, Gloucester-Hartpury, 58 caps)
Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 62 caps)
Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury, 35 caps)
Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 66 caps)
Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 51 caps)
Georgia Brock (Gloucester-Hartpury, 2 caps)
*Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women)
May Campbell (Saracens, 1 cap)
Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 21 caps)
Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 9 caps)
Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 79 caps)
Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 10 caps)
*Charlotte Fray (Leicester Tigers)
Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 19 caps)
Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, 1 cap)
Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 18 caps)
Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 72 caps)
Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 35 caps)
Marlie Packer (Saracens, 108 caps)
Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 18 caps)
Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 69 caps)
21
Backs
Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 35 caps)
Jess Breach (Saracens, 43 caps)
Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women, 48 caps)
Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 54 caps)
Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 26 caps)
Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 76 caps)
Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers, 21 caps)
Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 48 caps)
Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 32 caps)
Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 26 caps)
*Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs)
Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 34 caps)
Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 116 caps)
*Jade Shekells (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 6 caps)
Mia Venner (Gloucester-Hartpury, 1 cap)
16
*uncapped
Reactions
Mitchell has named a generous 37 players for the 5-match series. It may be his plan to ensure that all of them have a chance to appear. That will help spread the squad’s experience even wider as it builds towards the World Cup.
He has included four uncapped players. Hearty congratulations to them. Each presents a quite different path to selection.
Charlotte Fray, a 24-year-old lock from Leicester Tigers, shows the need for England to unearth another specialist second-rower. She has been a leading figure in Tigers’ struggles in the PWR. She joins Lilli Ives Campion as the new intake to compete with the well-established pair of the skipper and Abbie Ward.
Abi Burton’s career has been dogged by injury and ill-health. Her appearance at the top level is a reward for her courage and tenacity. Like Fray, she has been performing for one of the less prominent clubs, in her case Trailfinders Women.
Flo Robinson has done exceptionally well to find a place as the third scrum-half choice; the competition there has been intense. The other side of that coin is the bitter disappointment Ella Wyrwas must feel, having played with some distinction.
I commented on Jade Shekells when Mitchell announced his last training squad. She was a leading figure in the centre for Worcester Warriors before their sad demise. From there she entered the GB 7s squad and joined Gloucester-Hartpury without gaining a regular place in Sean Lynn’s side. She remains a lone example of the awkward division of resources between the Red Roses and Giselle Mather’s GB 7s squad.
She might yet consider herself lucky to be included. Also available to wear 12 or 13 are the other vice-captain Meg Jones, Emily Scarratt, Tatyana Heard and Helena Rowland. Even Zoe Harrison might find herself playing there again, if Mitchell’s choice of No 10 remains Holly Aitchison. England is spolt for choice.
Size equals choice
By opting for this relativelty large group, Mitchell has allowed himself the chance to gauge the talents of competing individuals, all with half an eye on the RWC.
This is particularly evident in the back row. He had already demoted Marlie Packer from captain to co-vice captain. Alongside her he can choose between Alex Matthews, Georgia Brock, Maddie Feaunati, Morwenna Talling, Sadia Kabeya and Burton – not forgetting Sarah Beckett and even the captain, who are quite used to playing as loose forwards.
As in other parts of the field, it’s a question of finding the right balance of skills in the threesome.
Experience
The caps add up to a gargantuan 1,300. Even when the squad is reduced to World Cup requirements (I assume 30), that will represent an unequalled advantage for the Red Roses.
Club allocations
Bristol Bears 5
Exeter Chiefs 3
Gloucester-Hartpury 11
Harlequins 2
Leicester Tigers 3
Loughborough Lightning 4
Sale Sharks 1
Saracens 6
Trailfinders Women 2
Once again, the ratios neatly reflect PWR table positions. Where they don’t (Tigers one more than Quins?), we can sense the unease some head coaches may feel about job securiity.
It also calls into question the whole troubled business of the professional approach. When we read James Forrester’s statement that Gloucester-Hartpury’s funding tripled in 2022, we have to wonder why every other club wasn’t able to do likewise. That enlarged piggy bank allowed Sean Lynn to acquire the services of players of the quality of Beckett, Matthews and Muir, not to mention Ireland’s co-captain, Sam Monaghan.
Absent parties
We have to feel very sorry for players omitted through injury. Cath O’Donnell comes immediately to mind; not so much for the imminent 6N campaign; more for the RWC, since that comes around only every four years.
That leaves a last category, those omitted for no apparent reason. Poppy Cleall, a quite outstanding No 8, can represent all of them more than adequately.
Selection policy
That still leaves us with Mitchell’s strategic policy. The Red Roses remain the overwhelming favourites to win a seventh consecutive 6N title. That is a nagging weakness of the competition, in stark contrast to the men’s version.
How Mitchell reacts is a different matter. He could select a different 23 each round or limit himself to his strongest pick. For the last four rounds last year he stuck rigidly to his favoured back line (Kildunne, Breach, Jones, Heard, Dow, Aitchison, Hunt). Will he prove more flexible this time?
That at least adds some uncertainty and excitement to the unfolding drama.
John Mitchell spoke at the 6N launch event about how he wants to see “different combinations”- that has got to mean that he won’t pick the same back-line 4 games in a row. Not least of which, what would happen were 1 of his 1st choice get injured? Yes, Breach, Killdunne and Dow might be the 1st choice back three, but let’s see Venner and Sing playing.
As for the centres… Heard and Jones appear, on form, to be the 1st choices, but Rowland offers something different at inside as does Scarratt at outside; hopefully again we’ll see those combinations playing together for extended periods.
At least in the forwards there’s more room for substitutions and switching, but competition is going to be so tough- it could all come down to how people are playing in camp
Yes, this is a squad with great depth. It will be interesting to see what team Mitchell selects for the Italy game on Sunday. If he chooses to leave out all the Gloucester and Saracens players he could still put out an incredibly strong and talented 23 and just be short of s couple of replacement props. This would both make selection straightforward and give lots of fringe players their opportunity.
1. Botterman, 2. Atkin Davies, 3 Bern, 4. Ward, 5. Talling, 6 Feaunati, 7. Kabeya, 8. Burton, 9. Packer, 10. Aitchison, 11.MacDonald, 12. Rowland, 13. Jones, 14. Dow, Kildunne, 15. Kildunne
Replacements: 2 Props, Cokayne, Ives Campion, Fray, Robinson, Scarratt, Sheckells