3. Ellie Kildunne Returns for England after Olympic Sevens Duties with Team GB
Kingsholm gave Ellie Kildunne an immense ovation, when her name was read out over the speaker system in the England team announcement. Receiving as warm an ovation as any of the Gloucester-Hartpury home town heroes, the Red Roses fans were delighted to see Kildunne back in the white shirt, after her run with the Great Britain sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Kildunne was immediately involved in the attacking action, with the Harlequin evidently delighted to be back in the Red Roses shirt. Kildunne’s searching runs through the France defensive were integral to England’s earlier scores, as she gained the Red Roses significant down-field territory ahead of Packer and Breach’s first half scores.
4. England piece together their midfield puzzle in Meg Jones’ injury absence
A major area of contention this week in the England camp was the centres, with plenty of contenders to the vacant 13 jersey following Meg Jones’ ankle injury. The Leicester Tigers star recently underwent surgery, after sustaining an injury in England training following her return from her run in the Great Britain Olympic Sevens squad.
John Mitchell had Tatyana Heard nailed on for 12, and opted for a returning Helena Rowland to take up the mantle as her midfield partner. Rowland’s Loughborough teammate Emily Scarratt was amongst those suspected to take up the starting jersey, only to be named amongst the replacements. There was also no space in the match day squad for uncapped England camp hopeful Phoebe Murray, with the Bristol Bears centre left out this time around.
The new-found combination of Heard and Rowland took some gelling, with some defensive gaps exploited between them by the likes of Nassira Konde and Marine Menager. However the fresh midfield pairing combined for a first half score, as England were over for their third try of the dominant first 40 minutes. Heard found Rowland with an expertly weighted off-load, and the Loughborough legend dotted down under the posts.
5. Gloucester-Hartpury’s Home Town Heroes star at ‘Queensholm’
There were bountiful Cherry and White shirts in support today, with the home of the Premiership Women’s Rugby champions in full voice behind the Red Roses. There were four Gloucester-Hartpury stars in the England squad, with Tatyana Heard, Maud Muir, Natasha Hunt and Zoe Aldcroft all having stand-out performances on home soil.
The Player of the Match award was dutifully awarded to Tatyana Heard, with the centre showcasing her bruising ability to carry through defenders, as well as distribute the play with impressive handling skills. Heard and Rowland made a nice midfield partnership for Mitchell to consider for WXV, with scrum half Natasha Hunt expertly supplying the ammunition to her Gloucester-Hartpury teammate.
In the pack, lock Zoe Aldcroft dominated the areal battle, with the towering second row rising high above the line to claim the sky as her territory. Aldcroft was tested by her opposite number, but was able to keep France captain Manae Feleu quiet at the breakdown. Also, Gloucester-Hartpury prop Maud Muir enjoyed a warm ovation from her home fans, having previously expressed her excitement of playing in front of a packed out Kingsholm ‘shed’. Solid scrummaging and a tireless work rate, Muir deserved her applause upon her 55th minute exit.