There was Women’s Six Nations victory for a Cardiff-born captain at Ashton Gate; the problem, of course, for Wales is that Meg Jones proudly wears English white. In a different world – one, perhaps, in which greater investment had been made in women’s rugby long ago – then Jones might have been a star for the country of her birth. But, with opportunities limited in her teenage years, a special talent left Cardiff for Hartpury – and the rest, as they say, is history. Having been such a key cog on and off the pitch in England’s World Cup win, this now looks a team built in their stand-in skipper’s image, full of creativity, quirk, and a relentless energy.
’Twas ever thus in this competition, of course, but the last two weeks have been impressive even by the sky-high standards by which England judge themselves. Having put Scotland to the sword with 12 tries a week ago, the scoreline did not swell quite as high in Bristol, yet a 62-24 win was nonetheless a significant success in the context of an injury crisis seemingly ever-deepening. A concerning shoulder issue for Sadia Kabeya here means that six of the starting World Cup-winning pack are currently unavailable to John Mitchell; it seems to matter not a jot, at the moment.
