'selfless' Kildunne And 'unsung' Botterman Key To England Chances

Ellie Kildunne grabbed nan headlines successful England's connection triumph complete nan United States successful their Rugby World Cup opener, but Hannah Botterman has been identified arsenic a pivotal subordinate erstwhile nan matches get tougher successful nan knockout stage.

Full-back Kildunne dazzled successful Sunderland connected Friday night, making 153 metres and 5 cleanable breaks, and dotting down for a effort either broadside of half-time arsenic England cruised to a 69-7 win.

However, while nan reigning World Player of nan Year could person added astatine slightest 2 much tries to her individual tally, she alternatively chose to doubly group up Jess Breach, pinch 2014 World Cup victor Maggie Alphonsi praising her situational consciousness and "selfless" actions.

"Ellie Kildunne could easy beryllium selfish but she showed she is selfless," erstwhile England flanker Alphonsi said.

"She is nan World Player of nan Year and has recognised that she is simply a target. She is reasoning really tin she usage Abby Dow and Jess Breach connected nan outside, and it was really smart really England sewage Ellie Kildunne into nan game."

With winger Dow besides crossing nan tryline, England's backmost 3 bagged 5 of their side's 11 tries astatine nan Stadium of Light, taking their mixed tally to 141 successful 157 appearances.

Speaking connected BBC Sport's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, commentator Claire Thomas said we are witnessing "a procreation coming of property astatine this tournament" while 1994 World Cup victor Giselle Mather pinpointed nan teamwork of England's backmost 3 arsenic a cardinal constituent successful immoderate early success.

"The backmost 3 that England person are a phenomenal unit and they person to activity together for nan bully of nan team. It's sewage to beryllium nan backmost 3 scoring together," Mather said.

"Abby Dow could person gone connected nan extracurricular and she put nan shot backmost wrong to Ellie Kildunne. Ellie gives 2 beautiful passes to Jess Breach, who puts nan shot down.

"That's a large measurement guardant and has to proceed to hap because for England to triumph this, they person to activity beautifully together."

Kildunne, who was named subordinate of nan match, maintained her selfless cognition successful her post-match interview, deflecting attraction from her ain capacity to alternatively praise nan squad effort which underpinned England's ascendant victory.

"It's a squad sport. We wouldn't person nan abstraction connected nan edges if it wasn't for nan play done nan middle," she said.

"It's a afloat squad effort. You can't triumph a crippled of rugby pinch 1 person. Individuals don't triumph World Cups."

On England's backmost three, she added: "We've played together a agelong time. With nan extent we've sewage pinch Emma Sing and Claudia [Moloney-MacDonald] arsenic well, we're a tight unit. We cognize really each different play, we cognize nan speeds of each other. When someone's moving down nan wing, it's astir supporting them and being that touch if you need."

But while England's backs dominated nan headlines, Mather, Thomas, and Rugby Union Weekly big Sara Orchard were unanimous successful naming Botterman their subordinate of nan match.

The prop, who bulldozed complete for a first-half effort of her own, earned praise for her unsung and little glamorous protect efforts, pinch Orchard calling it a "statement performance".

Thomas, meanwhile, hailed nan 26-year-old arsenic England's subordinate to watch against tougher opposition.

"She's developed an uncanny expertise to move complete balls nether immense unit erstwhile her heels are connected her ain tryline," she said.

"The number of times successful nan Six Nations it would beryllium Hannah rising pinch nan shot erstwhile nan Red Roses' backs were against nan wall and erstwhile this tourney gets tough, erstwhile they're up against Canada, nan Black Ferns, France, it's going to beryllium Hannah Botterman pilfering those balls that gets England retired of a batch of basking water."

Despite moving successful 11 tries, conceding conscionable once, and kicking disconnected their tourney pinch a bonus-point victory, England were not flawless connected Friday, pinch Orchard standing their capacity "five retired of 10".

John Mitchell's broadside were nervy pinch their handling erstwhile dealing pinch nan restart, opening pinch Abbie Ward letting nan opening kick-off bounce and ne'er really settling from location – a weakness that could beryllium costly against nan tournament's apical sides.

"I can't retrieve nan past clip I saw a really prestigious Red Rose fto nan shot find writer for illustration [Ward]. We thought, 'that's fine, it won't hap again' and past it kept connected happening," Thomas said.

"It was almost for illustration they were experimenting pinch thing and they hadn't yet sewage to grips pinch it.

"They person conscionable revealed an Achilles' heel, if they can't hole it successful nan adjacent week."

Mather added: "They went for one-player lifts and that's a very difficult skill. Is it a accomplishment we request to beryllium doing if we're not doing it well?

"Every clip we scored, we fto nan USA backmost successful nan game. That's good against nan USA but erstwhile it's Canada, France, New Zealand, that's not fine.

"When you score, you've sewage to return nan shot and get consecutive backmost into their half and put unit backmost on. The 1 we did do well, we scored a effort instantly."