Red Roses bask in World Cup glory on Twickenham return – but must improve on sloppy showing against Ireland

intoThe time will surely come for the Women’s Six Nations to deliver more compelling and consequential contests but, for now, Twickenham seems content to bask in the Red Roses ’ glory. 196 days on from Rugby World Cup glory , England were back at a scene of triumph that they are increasingly making their own; the crowd may have been ever-so-slightly smaller, and the stakes rather more considerably so, but here was another occasion to illustrate how far the game has come – and how far it might still have to go. The attendance of 77,120 was a record for any fixture in this championship, an increase of almost a third on the previous mark set here three years ago against France.

That was a barmy, balmy April afternoon that swung this way and that; there was not that sort of jeopardy or, in truth, quality here, with Ireland dropping the opening kick off and unable to stay with an error-prone, erratic England thereafter. Sarah Bern scored twice for England in their win over Ireland to open the Women's Six Nations (Action Images via Reuters) The seven-time defending champions do not often have to be at their best to win in this competition, and were not anywhere close here. But the close-to-capacity crowd did not seem to care much at all, tossing cowboy hats this way and that as they carried on the festival feel that had accompanied John Mitchell’s side throughout their successful World Cup campaign.

Each Ellie Kildunne touch came with an approving squeal of excitement that reached fever pitch when the full-back ran in England’s fifth and final try. The swelling profiles of the squad were marked appropriately pre-match with a stadium-high tifo sporting some of England’s most famous faces alongside those who had come before. The performance which followed was not quite as impressive a construction.

It is eight years since the Red Roses were beaten in this competition, and we will probably not know quite how good this iteration is until they go to Bordeaux to face France in the tournament’s final fixture. It goes without saying, though, that they remain some way ahead of the rest, 33 successive wins becoming 34 even in the absence of pregnant captain Zoe Stratford and several other regular starters. (Action Images via Reuters) “It was outstanding to have the sort of support we love to have as a Red Roses team.