Jess Breach says scoring 50 tries for England is a “phenomenal” emotion and it would “mean everything” to the wing to win her 50th cap in her home county.
The 27-year-old took her Red Roses try tally to 52 with a hat-trick in England’s 14-try win against Samoa at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday. Breach is just the fifth Red Rose to hit 50 tries for England and she reached the milestone on her 49th cap. She could win her 50th against Australia on Saturday in Brighton.
She said: “Fifty tries is a phenomenal feeling but I think the forwards did a big job in the middle. The inside backs were able to release me to get over the white line. It means everything: there is so much history within the Red Roses and to be able to pass 50 tries is incredible. I am sure Ellie [Kildunne] and Abby [Dow] will be there soon as well. It is really nice we are all still playing in our prime and our future is about how many tries we can score.
“[It would mean] everything. Today was really special to score 50 tries but to have 50 caps for your country is amazing and for it to be in my home county would be phenomenal. The game has never gone down to Sussex before so to be able to get my 50th potentially would be amazing, but we have just got to see what Mitch [head coach John Mitchell] has got up his sleeve.”
While Breach had her special moment, Samoa had their own by scoring their first World Cup points in 11 years. They came when the fly-half Harmony Vatau slotted a kick after Samoa won a scrum penalty. Samoa’s celebrations when the kick was successful were huge.
“They have done an amazing job by getting here and they definitely fronted up,” Breach said. “It wasn’t an easy game for us and it was phenomenal to see how glad they were to get their three points. Obviously after the game they were even more buzzing to celebrate that and it is really special, you can’t take that moment away from them.”
Both teams were inspirational on the pitch and the England prop Sarah Bern wants to inspire other people’s confidence by growing her social media presence, with the help of her former Bristol Bears teammate Ilona Maher.
“One day she was filming me and from there she was like ‘you have a brilliant personality you need to show the world that’,” Bern said. “I am very thankful for that time with Ilona. She is a brilliant person, her family are amazing as well. They are so incredibly supportive of women’s rugby and myself”
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Bern has played in both of England’s World Cup games but is in competition with Maud Muir.
Bern said: “We both have massive respect for each other. We both enjoy each other’s company which probably baffles people considering we are both going for the same shirt but there’s massive respect. We are very similar players but very different at the same time so it is whatever is going to give to the team.”
