'rusty' To 'relentless' - Red Roses Deliver Statement Win

ByPhil Cartwright

BBC Sport journalist

Just earlier England's Women's Six Nations lucifer against Scotland kicked disconnected connected Saturday, Red Roses caput coach John Mitchell was asked if this spell was nan biggest trial of his team's spot successful extent since he took charge.

"No doubt," he replied. "But you person to accommodate and respond to it."

In beforehand of 30,498 group astatine Murrayfield - a grounds crowd for a standalone women's sporting arena successful Scotland - nan world champions did that and more, winning 84-7.

England were not rather astatine their champion successful nan 33-12 location triumph against Ireland 7 days earlier, which successful hindsight was astir apt to person been expected fixed nan turnover successful their squad since they lifted nan World Cup connected that magical time astatine Allianz Stadium successful September.

Four players, including skipper Zoe Stratford, are unavailable because of pregnancy. Emily Scarratt and Abby Dow person some since retired.

Earlier this week, injured quartet Natasha Hunt, Morwenna Talling, Hannah Botterman and May Campbell were ruled retired for nan remainder of nan tournament. The aforesaid destiny had befallen Tatyana Heard earlier it had moreover started, while Alex Matthews' enarthrosis problem prevented her from being progressive successful Edinburgh.

But a much-changed line-up delivered a connection triumph that demonstrated erstwhile much why nan Red Roses are nan benchmark to which each different nations aspire successful women's rugby union.

Mitchell described it arsenic a "special performance", while skipper Meg Jones, who scored 1 of England's 12 tries, said nan Red Roses were "relentless" successful registering a 35th consecutive victory.

She added: "We want to support building connected each capacity we have. This crippled gives america tremendous feedback and we tin conscionable support getting amended and better."

The absences of Stratford, Talling and Abbie Ward mean England are ray connected options astatine fastener astatine nan moment.

Lilli Ives Campion, winning her seventh cap, was nan elder partner successful nan 2nd statement alongside Abi Burton, who is usually a backmost row.

Demelza Short, 19, made her debut successful nan backmost statement alongside nan outstanding Sadia Kabeya and subordinate of nan lucifer Maddie Feaunati.

Prop Maud Muir marked her 50th headdress pinch a bid of powerful carries successful nan 51 minutes she was connected nan field, earlier her replacement, Sarah Bern, scored 2 tries for nan 2nd successive match.

Katy Daley-Mclean, who captained England to World Cup occurrence successful 2014, said connected BBC Two: "I don't deliberation I've ever seen them arsenic accomplished arsenic that capacity was.

"They dominated from infinitesimal 1 to infinitesimal 80. It didn't matter whether it was their starters aliases their bench, whether it was players who had 1 headdress aliases 113 - everybody came successful and did their jobs.

"We've sometimes seen England do it successful bits, but ne'er arsenic polished arsenic that. They were outstanding."

Maggie Alphonsi, different personnel of England's 2014 world champions, added: "It was an awesome display. After nan measurement they played against Ireland, you could opportunity they were very rusty and near opportunities behind.

"Today, they capitalised connected each chance they sewage erstwhile they went into nan opposition's 22.

"All nan forwards really stepped up. Last play against Ireland, you didn't really spot nan forwards get into nan game, triumph nan collisions aliases spell forward. Today, they owned it. This England squad person sewage a really bully powerfulness game."

There were changes among England's backmost section for nan travel to Murrayfield, too.

In astatine fly-half for Holly Aitchison, Zoe Harrison had a magnificent time pinch nan boot, converting each 12 tries.

England's lightning-quick ruck velocity was a characteristic of their play, causing Scotland problems throughout.

Emma Sing capped a good show astatine full-back pinch a first-half score, while Ellie Kildunne - who had been switched to nan helping aft starting astatine 15 against Ireland - scored doubly to bring up a half-century of world tries.

Daley-Mclean said Kildunne had played "like a female connected a mission" while summarising England's first-half performance.

"Everybody astir her has gone good today," she continued. "Ellie's tries person been highly well-taken but a batch of it is nan activity done by different group astir her. The shot from Jones [for Kildunne's 2nd try] is sublime.

Alphonsi added: "People were questioning whether Kildunne could do it connected nan helping and she's putting connected a show."

How Mitchell uses Sing and Kildunne moving guardant is his "biggest challenge", according to Daley-Mclean.

"What we've seen coming is nan quality successful them," nan erstwhile England fly-half said successful commentary.

"Ellie's top-end gait is for illustration that of a winger and her strength. What Emma brings is really bully aerial threat and she's sewage a really bully kicking game.

"Using them is astir apt John Mitchell's biggest challenge. If Ellie wasn't there, Emma would beryllium England's starting full-back and perchance would commencement for different nations successful nan Six Nations.

"She's astir apt unlucky that she's down personification for illustration Ellie, but for England it's really you usage them to suit what nan squad needs to do."

On this evidence, England will return immoderate stopping if immoderate squad is going to forestall them from clinching an eighth successive Women's Six Nations title and a 5th consecutive Grand Slam.

Winless Wales are adjacent up successful Bristol connected 25 April, followed by a travel to Italy (9 May) and a imaginable Grand Slam decider successful France 8 days later.