England women's head coach John Mitchell has praised his team's 87-4 victory over Scotland in the Women's Six Nations, describing the performance as 'special' despite a tumultuous week leading up to the match. Following a lackluster opening win against Ireland, England's injury list grew with the addition of Alex Matthews, who joined Hannah Botterman, Morwenna Talling, Natasha Hunt, May Campbell, and Tatyana Heard on the sidelines for the entire tournament. Furthermore, Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward, Rosie Galligan, and Lark Atkin-Davies are currently unavailable due to pregnancy. As a result, Mitchell made five changes to the starting lineup, including moving star player Ellie Kildunne to the wing.
The team rose to the challenge, with five tries in the first half and seven in the second, including scores from Mia Venner and Haineala Lutui in their third and second Test appearances, respectively. Mitchell attributed the success to the team's 'courage' and ability to adapt to adversity, stating, 'That was a special performance... I am fortunate to have such a great staff and coaching group - they have done a tremendous job.' He also commended the team's youthful players, such as back-rower Maddie Feaunati, who thrived in the team's focus on individual 'authentic' play.
In contrast, Scotland struggled with depth, with former Scotland international Jade Konkel noting, 'The stats speak for themselves; the missed tackles, the lack of gain line; and the amount of turnovers... They'll be frustrated but if they want to compete with the best, they have to step up their game.'