John Mitchell argues England DON'T have to be perfect just yet ahead of Women's World Cup quarter-final

England head coach John Mitchell argued his team don’t have to be firing on all cylinders just yet even though they have now reached the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals. 

At Ashton Gate on Sunday, Scotland are the opposition for the Red Roses. 

Scotland have not beaten England since 1999 and have won just two of 34 clashes between the two countries. 

It would take an upset of epic proportions for Scotland to come out on top. 

Mitchell said: ‘They have definitely improved. Clearly, Scotland will raise their performance against us, but there is still vulnerability in there and we will be hunting those weaknesses. 

‘I don’t think we need to be 10 out of 10 at the moment. We are in a new competition in my eyes. We have experienced some injuries but that is what this tournament throws at you. If we do get a super performance, that’s great. If not, we will learn from it.’ 

While tournament favourites England, playing on home soil, should progress to the last four comfortably, Scotland will undoubtedly provide their toughest test in the World Cup so far. 

England scored a mammoth 32 tries and 208 points in Pool A hammerings of USA, Samoa and Australia respectively. 

Scotland finished as Pool B runners-up to Canada. 

Mitchell’s confidence in his team’s ability to beat Scotland is reflected by the fact he has left key lock Abbie Ward on the bench and started Holly Aitchison at No 10.

Aitchison only made her first appearance of the World Cup off the bench against Australia in Brighton last Saturday after an ankle problem and Mitchell is keen to give her game time. 

That’s despite Zoe Harrison, who has kicked well from the tee, impressing at fly-half. 

There are four changes from the Wallaroos win for Scotland – Kelsey Clifford, returning captain Zoe Aldcroft, Aitchison and Helena Rowland. 

Star full-back Ellie Kildunne and prop Hannah Botterman are out with concussion and a back injury respectively. 

Mitchell will want them both back fit for a likely semi-final. 

Rowland and Clifford start in their places, while Aldcroft is back to lead the team after recovering from a knee problem which forced her to miss Samoa and Australia.

Aldcroft watched the Australia game from the Brighton stands alongside the Princess of Wales. 

‘I had full trust in the girls doing the job,’ she said. 

‘You understand the game a bit more watching from the sidelines. It has been completely different and it was interesting, but I am back and ready to go. 

‘I would definitely rather have been involved and I am ready to attack the next few weeks.’ 

While Mitchell is right his team won’t have to produce a 10/10 performance to beat Scotland, his team does need to start hitting those levels with the last four in mind.

New Zealand, the last team to beat England in the final of the 2022 World Cup, are looming ominously as a team capable of spoiling the party once again. 

In 18-year-old wing Braxton Sorensen-McGee, the Black Ferns have a superstar in their team. 

New Zealand will have to wait until the final for England, if they make it that far. France are their likely semi-final opponents once Scotland, as expected, have been dispatched.