The top 40 English players from across the Women’s game came together last week for an Origin style clash as part of England’s selection process for this weekend’s test match against Wales.
The game allowed the England coaching staff to take a closer look at prospective players for their clash with Wales and beyond – and in an environment that aimed to replicate the intensity of international standard fixtures.
England captain Jodie Cunningham, who earlier this season lifted the Challenge Cup at Wembley with St Helens, expressed her delight at the standard of last week’s training match, although it came as no surprise.
“Not surprised – impressed,” Cunningham explained.
“I’ve seen them throughout the season come on leaps and bounds. I think what’s really nice is seeing them in an environment where we had the best selected 40 girls and seeing them playing around really good players and how they just came alive and the confidence they had in that environment.
“Especially for younger players, to be in that environment when you know the England coaches are watching and there’s an international test match around the corner, it’s easy for the pressure to get to you but everyone stood up and did themselves really proud. I’m not surprised it was such a tough call selecting the 20 in the end.
“It was a really good game. It was an adapted game - it wasn’t just a usual 80-minute game. It was four 20’s, no conversions, a really quick paced game – and that’s where we need to be if we want to compete internationally. We’ve got to be able to hit the intensity levels that it’ll take to beat Australia and New Zealand. We have to replicate that over here more regularly.
“For me, I loved it. I love fast paced games, I love it when we’ve got retreating defenders and we’ve got to look up and just be a bit more instinctive with how we play, rather than being structured and predictable. We need to be able to work with that fast-paced game and look up and play.”
The Women’s game in the Northern Hemisphere is going from strength to strength. Despite falling short in last year’s World Cup Semi-Final, Cunningham is adamant England are bridging the gap between themselves and women’s rugby league powerhouses, Australia and New Zealand – particularly after New Zealand handed Australia their first defeat in seven years last weekend.
“Australia have been the dominant force but everybody else is getting there. New Zealand are a quality side and probably didn’t perform as well as they would’ve liked in the World Cup Final. I think it’s exciting for the game that they can turn them around. We all admit in that Semi Final, we could have won.
“I’m excited that New Zealand turned Australia over. I think it’s only positive for us because we know that we’re getting there and we know when we get our opportunity and we perform on the day, we can do the same.”
