John Mitchell was appointed England head coach in May 2023
England will approach this summer’s home World Cup with “no regrets,” according to Red Roses head coach John Mitchell.
England’s women have been in their Rugby World Cup training camp since the start of June, aiming to secure their first trophy win on home soil in 11 years.
Following two tournament final defeats against New Zealand in 2017 and 2022, Mitchell is embracing the challenge ahead.
“How do we achieve what we haven’t for a long time?” the 61-year-old questioned. “We must have been doing something wrong.
“I believe this tournament, under our watch, presents a significant opportunity to ensure we have no regrets.”
England’s pre-season has involved players competing in teams for “strong women” challenges, with Mitchell also introducing an “NBA draft system”.
He explained that the draft allows players to “strategically release someone, knowing your group’s strengths. There’s a strategic element to it, helping the girls connect”.
The group is currently composed of 42 players, which Mitchell must reduce to 32 for the World Cup, selecting 18 forwards and 14 backs.
Due to these limitations, Mitchell is seeking “versatility” in his players. Exeter wing Claudia McDonald, for instance, may again cover scrum-half, as she did in 2022.
Gloucester wing Mia Venner is also being considered for three positions, adding scrum-half and full-back to her club-level repertoire.
Mitchell acknowledges that this need for players to fill multiple roles will affect others: “It’ll be tough on some players, as some specialists might miss out due to the versatility required.”
The final Red Roses camp before the Rugby World Cup squad announcement will be in Treviso, Italy, in July.
This marks the first foreign camp for England’s women, and despite the excitement, the head coach promises it will be their toughest and hottest yet.
“The heat will inherently create duress,” said Mitchell, noting that temperatures in the region average around 30C in the summer.
“Our tournament might be hot, so we’ll benefit from that. It will probably be our most uncomfortable training camp because it will be hot and bothersome.”
After England lost the last Rugby World Cup final following an early red card for wing Lydia Thompson, the coaches aim to leave no stone unturned in preparing the side for all possibilities.
“The amount we’ve layered onto our game will test them through various scenarios,” said Mitchell. “The unfairness that arises in games through cards and similar events. Play-to-rest ratios will also likely be slightly lower. We can create a quite challenging camp, if you will.
“We want to be ready for any form of unfairness, as it will come at some point. Consider how cards and Head Injury Assessments (HIAs) have advanced the game in that area.
“We must do it because it’s going to happen in the tournament. I’d rather be prepared for every eventuality, even if we still won’t be ready for every one.
“If we don’t create that exposure, we’re likely going to let ourselves down like in the last World Cup.”
As England prepares, so do their rivals, and Mitchell is arranging warm-up games with Spain and France, followed by their opening pool games with the USA and Samoa.
Following a scare against France in their final Six Nations match in May, when Les Bleus came back to within a point by the final whistle, Mitchell says they have learned from the experience.
“The French match has significantly influenced how we learn and evolve our game,” he said. “We analyze that separately from the other matches because they can threaten us in different ways.”
He notes that the change in defense coach during the last campaign, with Sarah Hunter on maternity leave and Nathan Catt taking over, contributed to them losing “a bit of our system,” which they are now “refreshing and bringing back” since her return.
However, any discussion about the later stages of the tournament is quickly dismissed.
He refrains from commenting on either Canada or world champions New Zealand.
Both are considered the Red Roses’ biggest competitors for the main prize, but Mitchell states that any matches with them are “too far off; we have to earn that right.”
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