Nothing the Red Roses do is boring. Those are the words of the centre Tatyana Heard as England head into their final pool match of the Rugby World Cup with the aim of topping the group and equalling their own world record of consecutive wins. If the heavy favourites come away with a victory against Australia, they will extend their winning streak to 30 games.
Their previous 30-match run ended in the 2022 World Cup final defeat, which is the last time they were beaten. Discussions in the buildup to this tournament had been around whether it would be beneficial for England to have lost a game between the World Cups to bank a different experience. But that is not the mentality in the Red Roses camp and the defence coach, Sarah Hunter, says the current run of victories has not been brought up.
When asked on the eve of the Australia match about the relentless winning, Heard said: “I wouldn’t say anything we do ever gets boring. There is so much competition within training, within matches, regardless of scorelines we are always trying to perform at our best and put our best foot forward. There’s also selection that comes into place, every single individual that pulls on a shirt they want to perform. I don’t think that people think about the fact that something we do might be boring, we have the best job in the world. We are just trying to enjoy ourselves and trying to be the best we can be.”
Alongside the team record, there is another individual record which could be reached this weekend as Abby Dow is one try away from scoring her 50th for England. Heard said: “She is one of the best finishers in the world, if not the best. She’s incredible, if you give her the ball you know she is likely to finish it or at least make a lot of metres.”
Australia have their own stars studded throughout their team but two in particular have stood out in Desiree Miller and Caitlyn Halse. The wing Miller, who took up rugby during the Covid lockdown, has scored five tries, including a hat-trick against Samoa, while 18-year-old full-back Halse has had the most direct try involvements of any player in the tournament so far.
Both players will hope to aid Australia in a match which has far more jeopardy for them than their opponents. The Red Roses have already qualified for the quarter-finals but if Australia take a heavy loss and do not secure a bonus point there is a chance they will be heading home as the USA are also able to make the last eight. By the time Australia kick off against England they will know what they need to do with the USA’s game against Samoa taking place earlier on Saturday but a win or a bonus point for the Wallaroos will do the job no matter what. A victory will be a tough ask as they have never beaten England before in the seven matches they have played.
While the odds may be stacked against them, Australia are going to try to emulate the famous men’s World Cup upset in Brighton in 2015 when Japan beat South Africa.
“We have been preparing the entire World Cup for this game,” said the back-row Piper Duck. “I am really proud of the campaign we have had during this World Cup. Leading into this game, everyone says it, pressure is a privilege. You play rugby to compete, we train to compete at the highest level. To be given the opportunity to come against England, the world’s best right now, and to create that upset and be that underdog, I am really excited for it. Yes there is pressure but I am not seeing it like that, I am seeing it as an opportunity. Opportunity for us to go out firing and for us to really make an impact on Saturday, to go into that game absolutely swinging.
“It’s really cool a game like that [Japan’s upset] has been held here. It’s definitely something I have looked at and I think it’s cool to see what can be accomplished. I know this group has the ability to do that also and to do so in a stadium with such an iconic history is really special.”
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If anyone can take Australia to a win against the Red Roses it is their head coach and former England captain Jo Yapp, who is one of the best coaches in the world. Hunter was still a player when she experienced Yapp as an opposition head coach in Premiership Women’s Rugby. Hunter had high praise for the 45-year-old former scrum-half who will know the England squad well, having previously coached 13 of the hosts’ matchday 23.
Quick GuideWomen’s Rugby World Cup pool permutations
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England will win Pool A if they avoid defeat against Australia. Australia will win Pool A if they beat England and will come second if they get a bonus point or draw, or if the USA fail to beat Samoa with a bonus point, or if they finish with superior points difference (at kick-off Aus +73, USA -62). In the remote circumstance that the points difference was equal, then tries scored minus tries conceded; then total points; then total tries would break the tie. If these were all level, then Australia would advance because of a superior world ranking.
The victor of Canada v Scotland wins Pool B. In the event of a draw and both sides picking up the same number of try bonus points (zero or one), Canada come first because of their superior points difference.
The victor of New Zealand v Ireland wins Pool C. In the event of a draw and both sides picking up the same number of try bonus points (zero or one), New Zealand come first because of their superior points difference.
The victor of France v South Africa wins Pool D. In the event of a draw, South Africa come first unless they fail to pick up a try bonus point and France do so, in which case France come first because of their superior points difference.
“Jo Yapp is an excellent coach in her own right in everything she has done over here in England,” Hunter said. “You look at some of our players now, they have come through her tutorage. She will know where the threats are. She has spent a lot of time working in the PWR before heading out to Australia. She is a very well thought-out coach, very diligent.”
England will probably equal the consecutive win world record. They are also favourites to break it in their quarter-final next week and will probably add to it before this tournament is over as they are backed to reach a home World Cup final. But first they must see off a fired-up Australia on the hunt for an upset and one thing is guaranteed: nothing on Saturday will be boring.
