1
England: 'Only that style of rugby will bring people to watch us'
John Mitchell believes that Saturday’s 14 tries to one hammering of hapless Ireland was a very positive stride forward towards England eventually selling out Twickenham to its full 82,000 capacity. The English stretched their Guinness Six Nations winning streak to 28 with a swashbuckling 88-10 win over the outclassed Irish.
ADVERTISEMENT
That leaves them one more result away from clinching a sixth successive championship title when they travel to Bordeaux next Saturday to take on France in the final round of the tournament.
However, with the next Rugby World Cup now just 16 months away from being staged in England, Mitchell was delighted that the clinical manner of the English performance should have fans wanting to see the team play more at Twickenham than they currently do.
Saturday’s attendance in London was down from the record 58,498 that attended last year’s Grand Slam decider with France, but the fact that a near-50,000 attendance could be attracted for a match against an Irish team that hadn’t scored against England since 2019 was evidence that fans definitely want to see the English in action at Twickenham regardless of the calibre of the opposition.
“The girls presented a performance today that probably went up a gear,” enthused Mitchell, whose side had performed in fits and starts in their earlier wins in the campaign over Italy, Wales, and Scotland. “We asked that of the girls during the week and they certainly did deliver that.
“I guess at the end of the day we have still got to drive to fill this stadium consistently, wanting to play here more consistently. So if we can continue to produce performances like that, I think it won’t be too long before we do fill the top green seats.
“From that point of view, it’s only that style of rugby that will bring people to watch us. We know that we have got other strengths as well but yeah, it’s a good sign and we’re only in the infancy of it which is cool.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Skipper Marlie Packer agreed that England do want to play more at Twickenham, but the veteran was also mindful that it was games elsewhere around the country in recent years that enabled the team to build its support base and convince the authorities to allow them to play at English rugby HQ.
“Most definitely,” she said when asked whether all three home games in next year’s Six Nations should be held at Twickenham in the lead-up to the World Cup.
“We definitely have got one we are playing here but also us, as Red Roses, we have gone on the road and that is how we built a fanbase so that when we do come here it’s not an empty stadium.
“We had 48,000 fans out there today and it’s really special for us and we want to keep growing our fanbase. Of course, we want to play here as much as we can but it’s also let’s keep building the fanbase.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Switching to the manner of the clinical performance that sets up the title decider versus France, Mitchell added: “Different contest but we will enjoy this moment. We have got plenty of time to start preparing for the next match. We trained very, very hard, trained very specific as well. We’ll just enjoy this as a team and then we will get our focus on Monday and France.
“It doesn’t look good,” he said of the ankle injury that forced Lark Atkin-Davies off in the first half, “but we need more diagnosis, and Rosie (Galligan) dislocated her thumb in the warm-up.”
Massive reception from the crowd as the England and Ireland teams walk out for Six Nations action at Twickenham. #GuinnessW6N #RedRoses #ENGvIRE #EnglandRugby #IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/cHBQ0g6SjI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 20, 2024
Asked what could England learn from hammering Ireland by a 78-point margin, he explained: “What we can learn from the match is that our plans worked. So that’s the exciting thing, the girls, when you can see the smiles on their faces because they see the reality of the plans being transferred.
“We love building pressure on an opposition both on and off the ball. We find ways to try and squeeze opposition which is a testament to the girls as they go out there and own it and then they see the rewards from it because ultimately at the end of the day the game is about being on the edge, it’s about creating pressure to be able to attack.”
What was the Packer verdict on the thumping win? “We talked about how we wanted to finish this game with smiles on our faces and happy with our performance and we definitely got that today and what better place to do it here at Twickenham, the home of English rugby, our home.
“That was a fine performance. Super proud of all the girls for the way they went out and delivered and I think the fans really loved it. We feed off that as players and we will enjoy the win today but then when Monday comes it’s full focus on France.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments