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In my coaching career, I was fortunate to work with some incredible players but one of the best was Jason Robinson. Poaching Robinson from rugby league was among the most important decisions of my England tenure, primarily because he could create something out of nothing.
He did that on so many occasions, coming up with huge moments in the biggest games with the 2003 World Cup final against Australia a great example.
I was reminded of Robinson on Saturday afternoon when I saw Ellie Kildunne produce a moment of magic as England claimed Women’s World Cup final glory at Twickenham. Kildunne’s try was simply outrageous brilliance. There is no other way of putting it.
I was mesmerised how she made the seemingly impossible possible in the blink of an eye.
The Red Roses full-back reminds me so much of Robinson it’s funny.
When I coached Robinson, I just wanted him to get his hands on the ball as much as possible.
England beat Canada in the final at Twickenham to win the Women's Rugby World Cup
Ellie Kildunne produce a moment of magic. Her try was simply outrageous brilliance
It's the same with Kildunne. Her try helped England overcome early nerves and settled John Mitchell’s players down on what was a huge occasion.
My heartfelt congratulations go out to all the Red Roses players and the coaching staff for their achievement. Yes, England were expected to win this tournament on home soil. But that shouldn’t detract from the fact they have done so.
The team has dealt with immense pressure to deliver global glory and must be applauded for that.
It is no mean feat to win a World Cup and go 33 matches unbeaten. Let’s not forget too England’s women have lost the last two finals. Canada’s semi-final performance against New Zealand showed how dangerous they can be. But they couldn’t replicate that in the final. Much of that was down to England.
I think this was their best performance of the World Cup.
How satisfying for the players and Mitchell as head coach to deliver that when it mattered most.
Kildunne got the party started with her outrageous solo score, but across the board England’s players produced the goods. I was particularly impressed by the work of captain Zoe Aldcroft on the flank who tackled anything that moved in a red shirt.
Alex Matthews also stood out, scoring twice. To see Aldcroft and other England players in tears at the final whistle showed how much this meant to them.
Kildunne got the party started with her outrageous solo score but across the board, England were superb
The power of the Red Roses was too much for Canada to live with.
It is in this area where the fact England’s long-standing professionalism has had the biggest impact. In simple terms, England are bigger and stronger than all their rivals to the point where they even made Canada – who are the No 2 team in the world – look a bit like amateurs.
That was shown by the fact forwards Amy Cokayne, Matthews and Abbie Ward all scored after Kildunne’s opener. Had Hannah Botterman not been yellow carded for a tip tackle, England’s margin of victory could have been even more comfortable.
Their impressive on-field display in the final was matched by the occasion at Twickenham. The atmosphere was sensational and the match played in front of a world record crowd for a women’s Test of 81,885. It was a phenomenal rugby occasion.
The RFU has done an excellent job by investing so heavily in the women’s 15-a-side game to deliver World Cup glory on home soil.
Now it must capitalise on this achievement.
After 2003, that didn’t happen. A week after the team won in Sydney, England’s players were playing for their clubs. The RFU didn’t seize the moment and there was no legacy that came out of the tournament win. I believe things will be different on the back of this success.
On Sunday, the Red Roses will deservedly celebrate their success with England fans in London and then undertake visits to grassroots clubs.
England's success cannot be wasted by the RFU, and they must not repeat past mistakes
That is to be applauded.
This World Cup win can be game changing for women’s rugby in England, so the RFU has to strike while the iron is hot. The Red Roses playing in front of a sold-out Twickenham now has to be a regular occurrence rather than a one-off. I’d also like to see the RFU bring back an England or Great Britain sevens side to further capitalise on the feelgood factor this World Cup has created. English rugby, both men’s and women’s, has been hit by the lack of sevens in the programme. Hopefully, it can come back into being in the coming years now.
Initially, these things can wait. When you win a World Cup, you deserve to celebrate and enjoy the moment. In 2003, that’s what we did and I would urge England’s women’s stars to do the same. I’m sure, however, they won’t need me to encourage them to do that!
Players like Kildunne, Aldcroft, Ward and indeed all the Red Roses will now see their public profiles go to another level. And that can only be a good thing for rugby. We’ve already seen that happen in England women’s football with the likes of Leah Williamson, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo.
With the Lionesses winning the European Championship and then the Red Roses following that with World Cup success, this really has been a golden summer of women’s sport in England. The celebrations at the final whistle at Twickenham were something to behold, just fantastic.
But English rugby can’t rest here. This has to be the start of something.
And I’m sure it will be.
