- The Guardian Monday 2 May 2022
(^34) Sport
Rugby union
Women’s Six Nations
England set
sights on
World Cup
after grand
slam glory
There was an obvious determination
among England’s grand slam winners
to savour the moment after com-
pleting their clean sweep against
France on Saturday but it was back
to reality soon enough for Simon
Middleton’s side.
England teams tend to travel with
British Airways – one of the Rugby
Football Union’s sponsors – but the
airline does not fl y from Biarritz and it
was an early start and a lengthy coach
journey the morning after the night
before. For whatever reason no extra
fl ight was chartered.
It serves as a reminder that for all
the progress made during the compe-
tition – two record crowds in Leicester
and Gloucester and a sold-out sta-
dium in Bayonne on Saturday, not to
mention a peak BBC Two audience
of 700,000 – there is much more to
be made.
England can at least take solace
that in every other facet they exude
professionalism and this Six Nations
triumph in which they scored 45 tries,
conceding just four, may yet prove
A clean sweep never looked
in doubt but the biggest prize
w ill be on off er in the autumn
Gerard Meagher
Gallagher Premiership
Kidney lauds London Irish’s ‘fi ght
to fi nish’ after a record draw
The race for the remaining Champions
Cup place is far from over after a
remarkable comeback from London
Irish saw them snatch the highest
scoring draw in Premiership history
from a contest they had all but lost.
Twenty minutes into the second
half, when Jimmy Gopperth con-
verted Wasps’ fi fth try, the Exiles
were staring at a 39-14 defi cit. But
the home team rallied for a record
fi fth draw of the season, scoring three
tries and snatching a stoppage time
penalty try in the fi nal 13 minutes.
“We have one thing you can’t
to be a signifi cant moment in the
history of the sport.
For it has jolted their rivals into
belated action over contracting play-
ers and, though the gap is a chasm
between England, France and the
rest there now seems a will to act. The
image of Ireland’s Aoife McDermott
at work the day after facing England
has endured and Sarah Bern, scorer of
two of the Red Roses’ tries on Satur-
day, issued a warning over the welfare
of players who face such situations.
“I have a lot of friends who play for
Wales, Scotland and Ireland [and] it is
really hard work,” she said. “Things
need to change not just for the rugby
but for the girls’ own mental health.
I’m always there to fi ght for their cor-
ner because I think everyone should
have equal opportunity.”
If change is coming, it is unlikely
to bear fruit on the pitch before
the World Cup this autumn – and it
can be said with some certainty that
England, France or New Zealand will
be crowned champions in November.
The victory for England on Satur-
day was telling in that regard because,
while France were competitive,
Middleton’s side remain a cut above.
It would be no surprise, though, if he
spent much of the coach journey pon-
dering recent events in New Zealand.
The Black Ferns have won fi ve
of the past six World Cups but were
emphatically beaten by both England
and France last autumn. There
were mitigating circumstances –
the pandemic is the most obvious
among them – but it has forced the
union into considerable action.
Wayne Smith has been appointed
director of rugby, Sir Graham Henry
is on board in a supporting role and
Whitney Hansen – daughter of Steve
- is among the assistants. Middleton,
then, will be pitting his wits against
three of the most famous names in
All Black history.
“A lot has happened in the Black
Ferns camp since the autumn,” he
said. “We look at the moves they’ve
made, it’s a massive mark of respect
for the game. What will be interesting
is how their new coaching structure
changes them because it is a diff erent
sort of environment that you have to
create. It’ll be interesting to see how
they go but it’s exciting to pit your
wits against coaches of that calibre.”
Middleton’s squad will return to
their clubs this week but come July
World Cup preparations will ramp up.
England have warm-up Tests planned
for September and there is already a
realisation that improvements must
be made before they leave for New
Zealand. “We know what we’ve got
to do to be classed as a great side but
we’re getting there,” Middleton said.
Indeed, if England were defen-
sively defi ant against France and
dominant at the set-piece, it was not a
match that will live long in the mem-
ory. Middleton said: “We need to fi nd
a way to free the girls up so they feel
like they can play a bit more.”
It is a message not lost on his
players, to which Bern’s determina-
tion attested: “To sit here and say
we’ve got this in the bag would be
stupid. We know there’s so much
more we want to work on. New
Zealand have got some brilliant
coaches coming in. France we know
will always come back for the fi ght.
“Everyone will turn up for the
World Cup. We need to make sure
we’re there and as turned up as
everyone else.”
London Irish 42
Wasps 42
Daniel Gallan
Brentford Community Stadium
coach,” said Irish’s director of rugby,
Declan Kidney. “That comes from the
players. They fi ght to the fi nish and it
is a great thing to fall back on.
“A draw is a strange result but
with fi ve minutes to go you would
have bitten fellas’ hands off to take
it.” This hardly serves either team.
Irish remain in eighth with Wasps one
place and one point behind.
First, some hard questions need
to be asked inside that Wasps camp.
“That feels like a big loss,” said Wasps’
head coach, Lee Blackett. “I am trying
to hide my frustration. The reality of
it is, for 65 to 70 minutes, I thought
we were very good.” They opened the
scoring after 13 minutes. With Irish
giving away a breakdown penalty,
Wasps set a maul that found momen-
tum with a second shove. Gabriel
Oghre emerged from the morass with
the fi ve points. Irish responded when
Tom Pearson managed what few of
his teammates had done until thenby offl oading in the tackle. The ball
shifted right where Benhard Janse
van Rensburg found space before
fl oating it on for Kyle Rowe to fi nish.
Irish were ahead soon after. The
scrum-half Nick Phipps, from his own
half, shaped to go right but went left.
Paddy Jackson chipped a kick behind
Francois Hougaard who could only
watch the onrushing Ollie Hassell-
Collins collect a kind bounce. The
Englishman provided a textbook
assist for the supporting Tom Parton.London Irish
Parton (Arundell 60);
Rowe (Joseph 60),
Rona, Van Rensburg,
Hassell-Collins;
Jackson, Phipps
(White 50); Goodrich-
Clarke (Gigena 64),
Creevy (Cornish 52),
Hoskins (Parker 64),
Nott (Mafi 55), Simmons,
Roberson, Pearson,
O’Brien (Tuisue 52)
Tries Rowe, Parton,
Pearson, Arundell,
Hassell-Collins, penalty
Cons Jackson 5Wasps
Kibirige (Umaga 77);
Hougaard, Fekitoa,
Gopperth (Odogwu 64),
Bassett; Atkinson,
Robson (Porter 62);
West (Harris 5),
Oghre (Frost 64)
Alo (Millar-Mills 56),
Launchbury, Stooke
(Gaskell 67), Shields,
K Willis, T Willis
(Young 59)
Tr ies Hougaard 2, Og hre,
Atkinson, Kibirige
Cons Gopperth 4
Pens Gopperth 2, Umaga
Referee Craig Maxwell-Keys Attendance 12,039Hougaard would have been
stung by the lapse and swiftly made
amends. It was his mighty hit on Par-
ton that turned possession. Minutes
later another powerful Wasps scrum
wheeled Irish’s pack inside their 22,
widening the space on the blindside.
Dan Robson fi red a bullet pass to
Hougaard, who scored unopposed.
Wasps had the lead they deserved
with Robson again off ering the fi nal
pass. A strong maul from a lineout
in the corner moved infi eld before
losing momentum under the posts.
Robson kept his cool and played a
cute pop off his shoulder for Charlie
Atkinson.
The result seemed assured six min-
utes after the restart when Hougaard
completed a simple move that might
have been defended by mannequins.
Credit will go to the All Black Malakai
Fekitoa for shifting it wide at pace but
London Irish apparently had eyes on
their Challenge Cup tie away to Tou-
lon next week.
This was refl ected in both the sub-
stitutions made by Kidney – Phipps,
Agustín Creevy and Albert Tuisue
were all pulled on 50 minutes – as
well as the visceral drop in energy. A
nothing kick was shunted straight to
Josh Bassett, who cantered 40 metres
without an Irish player landing a hand
on him. He might have gone for gloryhimself but played in Zach Kibirige
instead. Perhaps that was the blow
that Irish needed. Pearson scored
on 67 minutes through a maul and
the replacement Henry Arundell
chipped, chased and gathered to
score with eight minutes left.
The closing exchanges were the
most engrossing and, when Jackson
brought his team to within a score
by converting Hassell-Collins’s run
down the left touchline, a remark-
able comeback began to materialise.
Jacob Umaga kicked a penalty to
stretch the gap to seven points but
Irish were not done. A late surge, two
quickly tapped penalty darts and a
lineout maul brought them within a
long reach of the tryline.
The pressure told as Wasps
stopped the charge illegally and were
punished with a penalty try.▲ London Irish are awarded
a penalty try that salvaged a draw▲ England celebrate wrapping up
the grand slam against France
RYAN BYRNE/INPHO/SHUTTERSTOCKSarah Bern
England prop‘To say we’ve got
the World Cup
in the bag would be
stupid. We know
there’s so much
more to work on’