🔗 Share this article

Roses are red, Scotland in blue, the pressure is mounting, what will the outcome be? The scoreboard answer from a rain-drenched Bristol was predictable enough. When bookmakers start quoting prices of 1000-1 on for a team to win a lopsided contest, the chances of the English side not making it to the semi‑finals equaled spectators getting sunstroke.

Accompanying this was one more historic achievement for John Mitchell’s bunch of consistent champions. No top-tier rugby nation in history has previously won 31 consecutive Test matches as England’s women have now done: 61 victories in their past 62 Tests leaves precious little room for people to question their heritage or killer instinct.

Yet would you risk your home on the English lifting the trophy in just under a fortnight? This may hinge on the precise sum of money involved and the potential availability to other emergency income streams. Yet would you truly? Instantly? Based on the evidence of this particular game, even with a convincing win and challenging weather, one might feel tempted to hold fire.

Certainly, Zoe Aldcroft’s comeback is highly significant. She stands as an iconic leader the team’s skipper has grown into. And as always, when England get within five metres of the opposition in possession, their supporters lick their lips. Scotland were wonderfully spirited and endlessly committed, but physical realities are not easily defied when powerful players with subterranean centres of gravity are queueing up to score.

Sometimes overlooked Talling earned her accolade for player of the match, while Clifford, replacing the sidelined Botterman, also took her starting chance with both hands. Her two straightforward first-half scores will have particularly delighted everyone at her first club, Finchley RFC, where her father introduced her to rugby at six years old. Then there is the speedy sensation Dow, who notched her half-century of international tries and played with her usual dash and energy.

A single-figure penalty count on a filthy afternoon was another relative plus. But into the final equation the handful of tries they didn’t nail due to persistent small errors, one or two curious tactical options, and intermittent flow. Against different opponents, facing teams with stronger fundamentals, the contest could have been appreciably tighter.

Mitchell felt his side had been unfairly handicapped by Scottish cynicism in the forwards, but overconfidence risks is ever-present. Is it really a great innovation, for example, for non-playing England players to be bashing away at drums from the sidelines during a game? Wouldn’t it be better to focus more intently on the action and reserve such activities for post-match? Or, better still, quietly take a few more lessons before performing again?

More pressing is if the team is striking the correct chords during play. This, for example, was Holly Aitchison’s big chance to start at No 10 and demonstrate she deserves to keep the position for the biggest games. She is a lovely footballer and converted most of her goals, but England’s backline rarely connected as coaches had intended.

One of those moments came after Aitchison had been shifted to the wing, gliding down the 12 channel to score a smooth second-half try. Yet the team typically opts for the physically assertive Tatyana Heard at inside-centre, alongside the consistently excellent Jones. Despite continuous success, it sometimes feels as if selection remains uncertain of the best starting lineup.

Maybe it won’t matter when Kildunne returns. Maybe their mighty pack and extraordinary strength in depth will overwhelm every challenger and the ultimate prize will be won for the first time since 2014. Maybe the winners of Friday’s match between Canada and New Zealand will be overwhelmed by the host nation’s caterpillar tracks. According to the Scottish skipper Malcolm rightly said, “England are the No 1 team in the world for a reason.”

However, it’s possible England’s future opponents retain a slight chance. As the lively Francesca McGhie carved through England’s defence late on to help set up the opportunity from which Lloyd dotted down a late try, New Zealand players would certainly have lit up. The Scots also had some joy with tactical kicks into space and pressuring the English centers to turn.

Answers will come shortly. What remains clear is the Red Rose love in the stands. The venue was packed for this match and will repeat for the next round. The title decider promises a huge event, rain or shine. And the bookies will not be deserting England just yet.