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Flyhalf Zoe Harrison seized an opportunity and produced her best performance of the John Mitchell era in an otherwise unconvincing England 61-21 victory over the United States to kick off their WXV campaign.
Harrison started Mitchell’s first game in charge last year after returning from an ACL injury, but former Saracens team-mate Holly Aitchison has since become the favorite for the starting point guard job. game ahead of next year’s home World Cup.
Still, Harrison stood out on a rotating team in England’s WXV 1 defense’s opener, making all but one of her nine attempts from the kick while orchestrating the attack in a victory that put the team of Mitchell at the top of the first table. in Vancouver.
“I think Zoe played really well,” said the Red Roses coach. “She looked really decisive today, she really thought things through and made good decisions finding space for the kicks.
“She stayed in the offensive plane very well and she was challenged defensively. She did a superb job tackling. She is starting to progress in the way we want to play the game. She has a skill set that is a huge strength for us.”
Lark Atkin-Davies, Ellie Kildunne (twice), Georgia Brock, Alex Matthews, Bo Westcombe-Evans, Morwenna Talling, Jess Breach and Ella Wyrwas all crossed the whitewash, while Harrison scored a further 16 points.
Loughborough Lightning winger Westcombe-Evans and Bristol Bears center Phoebe Murray have both impressed on their debuts, adding even more depth to the Red Roses’ attacking options for the future.
“They both just need to continue to support each other, it’s hard to come into a team and immediately have a sense of belonging,” Mitchell said. Georgia Brock also had 22 tackles and 15 carries in her first start. Outstanding performance.”
Despite a slow start, the Red Roses managed four tries in the first half to lead 28-7 at the break, with full-back Kildunne scoring first in the pack.
The Eagles, ranked eighth in the world, refused to surrender to Mitchell’s top dogs, with Alev Kelter adding to his first try and Ealing Trailfinders’ Kate Zackary also crossing.
There was never any real danger of an upset, but the Red Roses will be looking for more complete performances if they are to extend their 18-game winning streak ahead of the matches against New Zealand – who were stunned by the Ireland in their opening match – and against Canada. , who overtook the Black Ferns in the world rankings after a victory against France.
“We probably let ourselves down with our bases early in the game and in the middle, but we felt a lot of satisfaction in the way we finished,” Mitchell added.
“[We wanted to] keep building up the pressure and don’t let it go with bad foundations, just release the handbrake and attack it. This is where our mindset should be, and we demonstrated it with some great examples towards the end. »
The match was also notable for Alex Matthews’ first match as England captain in light of the rest of regular skipper Marlie Packer. The No.8 said she felt nervous after being informed of Mitchell’s decision, but led England with aplomb in her 70th cap.
“It’s an absolute honor, but when you’re surrounded by the leadership we have there, it makes it easy,” Matthews said. “We took our foot off the gas at times, we didn’t create the momentum we wanted. But when we’re on fire, we score tries for fun and that’s what the girls love.”
