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England’s dominance of the world game is as clear as ever as the Red Roses top the Women’s Six Nations table after three comfortable wins, but their best starting XV remains a mystery.
Head coach Simon Middleton has shuffled almost everyone in his 40-player squad through the first three games as he considers his options.
As we approach the business end of the tournament, with a World Cup six months away, it is time for him to reveal his hand.
Middleton says he will “take stock” in the rest week before England host Ireland in Leicester on 24 April.
Here, we take a look at three key areas that will be on the England head coach’s mind.
The back three
The most obvious dilemma for Middleton comes in the back three, with Abby Dow suffering a broken leg in Saturday’s victory against Wales.
England have not given a timeline for Dow’s recovery, but former England men’s wing Ugo Monye says the Red Roses “have lost a huge weapon”.
“She is one of those superhuman women that the Red Roses possess,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby Union Weekly.
“She has that level of pace, power, footwork and agility.”
Dow was the latest player to take the starting 15 shirt, with Middleton giving the full-back role to Ellie Kildunne in England’s previous two wins.
But with Kildunne often holding on to the ball when a pass might have been more profitable, Monye suggested the unexpected move of playing fly-half and centre Helena Rowland at full-back.
He said England could “go leaps and bounds above every other team” if they had “a coordinator” like Rowland “that can unleash the gas out on the wings but is a safe pair of hands” at 15.
Sarah McKenna, who has been deployed on the wing so far this tournament, could bring more experience to the role, while twice-capped Emma Sing is still growing into the international game.
Middleton has previously called Dow one of the best finishers in the world but thankfully England have others who shine in this area too.
Lydia Thompson starred in the second-round win against Italy and Jess Breach showed a year of injuries has not held her back with two tries on her return against Wales.
Heather Cowell offers further depth on the wing and, having been released, is now likely to be called back into the squad after Dow’s injury.
The back five in the pack
Such is the depth of England’s forward strength, Middleton uses several players across both the second and back rows so he can cram all his talent into one starting XV.
Poppy Cleall is one such player and, having captained England against Italy, seems to be one of the few guaranteed a starting place along with lock Abbie Ward.
Ward has started at five in all three of England’s 2022 Six Nations games and is the only player in the squad to have played every minute of the tournament so far.
But there is immense competition for the other places and it will only increase if World Rugby player of the year Zoe Aldcroft, who can play lock and flanker, returns from injury in time for the Ireland game.
Captain and number eight Sarah Hunter is also in the mix, while flanker Marlie Packer put in a player-of-the-match performance against Scotland and is a talismanic presence in the side.
Sarah Beckett, Alex Matthews, Sadia Kabeya and Vicky Fleetwood have also featured but it is lock Rosie Galligan – returning to Test rugby for the first time in three years – who has caught Middleton’s eye.
“We didn’t quite expect what we got out of Rosie Galligan,” he said. “She’s nudged her way past a few people.”
Scrum-half
The main requirement for an England nine appears to be the ability to play with tempo.
Fitness has been key for the Red Roses so far, with the side overloading in training and coming into games fatigued as they push their game to the limit.
Natasha Hunt has been the scrum-half who has best delivered the high-speed gameplan so far in a player-of-the-match performance against Italy.
Before Hunt returned to the international game after a 17-month break, Leanne Infante seemed to have taken hold of the starting nine shirt.
But the Bristol back started in England’s opening win against Scotland and has not featured since, with Claudia MacDonald – who played in the autumn – injured.
Lucy Packer has played in all three games this year, making her first international start against Wales, and put in a good showing, but perhaps did not reach the heights of the more experienced Hunt.
The players may get a rest this week, but there is plenty for Middleton to think on before round four.
