England head coach Simon Middleton presented with a mild kind of headache, now half the normal fly Zoe Harrison have excluded between Women’s Six Nations with injury.
Harrison tore his ACL Against the Harlequins, that is, he will not play any role in the upcoming tournament. He has been Middleton’s first choice 10 for at least a year and has been consistently chosen to start there. last world cup.
Reports, Saracens Holly Aitchison favorite to inherit the shirt. Aitchison has played for England, but mainly in his preferred position at home centre.
However, capable 10 year old play and achieved success in the position. Harrison was injured in the Premier 15s final last June, and Aitchison was selected at halftime for the Saracens.
Aitchsion did an excellent job, especially in the kick game. He was pressured under high ball but didn’t knock and his regional kicks were accurate as the Saracens beat Exeter to claim their third Premier 15s title.
One element he didn’t take part in in that final was kicking a goal with Alev Kelter instead of taking on the task. If England pick Aitchison, this lack of big-game kicking experience shouldn’t be an issue for other candidates who can stand up from the tee, as Emily Scarratt did when Harrison made the 10th.
Helena Rowland is an example of a player who can take over the strokes.
Helena Rowland (center) can kick off the tee for England during the championship
(Getty Images)
If Aitchison is not selected in this position, there are many other players who could half fill the shirt.
Scarratt himself could often be in contention at center but was eliminated due to injury.
Rowland is able to play in the fly-half and has started there for England before. He’s certainly talented but has been successful in the back three at the World Cup and it would be a mistake to remove him from the position where he excelled.
Hatless Nancy McGillivray and Sarah McKenna can also transfer their skills to 10 jerseys. However, not all of these players mentioned are regular flight halves.
On the training roster there is one player who plays weekdays and weekend halves for his club – Lizzie Duffy of Sale Sharks.
He’s a solid pick that hones his craft at the north club, but he’s off limits. While he doesn’t have the experience that the other candidates have, Middleton might want a natural position number 10 player. An added bonus is to trick a new player ahead of the 2025 World Cup.
So Middleton has five options to choose from for inheriting the half-shirt. Having so many in-form players isn’t a bad problem, but it gives a headache if England can end their coaching career without holding the Six Nations title, as if they made the wrong decision.
The head coach is stepping down from her role at the end of the Women’s Six Nations and is aiming for a grand slam to complete an impressive tenure. If he seals the trophy, it will be his sixth Six Nations title since he took over the team in 2015.