For England, this is personal. On Saturday, the Red Roses return to Auckland to reacquaint themselves with the world champion Black Ferns, a week shy of the one-year anniversary of their World Cup final defeat to New Zealand in the city.
England have played down the revenge angle this week, actively avoiding any sense of a quest for vengeance to focus on getting their preparation and detail right. But there are clearly wrongs to be righted from the defeat last year that broke a 30-game winning streak and England’s hearts.
