England won their Women’s Six Nations opener comfortably in Parma but performance and discipline, especially in the first half, were not up to their usual standards.
Sarah Beckett was sent off in the 11th minute after her first bunker check of the match, which was upgraded to a yellow card, and Helena Rowland was sent to the bin in the 68th minute.
Captain Marlie Packer said “soft errors” had let down the team but she was “on top of the world” after winning her 100th game for the Red Roses. By the time she first stepped onto a rugby field for England in 2008, Gordon Brown was Prime Minister and Madonna and Justin Timberlake’s Four Minutes had reached number one. All around, Manchester United had just won their 10th Premier League title in 16 years. Beat Wigan Athletic 2-0.
Parker played just 40 minutes on his debut in England’s 80-3 win over Sweden and did not feature again for more than three years. It was a disappointing first cap for the national team, but it ended up working out well for the captain.
Parker won the Rugby World Cup in 2014, won seven Six Nations Grand Slam titles and was appointed England captain in 2023 following Sarah Hunt’s retirement. The 34-year-old has now added to her impressive tally now that she has just become England captain. The seventh player to play 100 games for the Red Roses.
“I’m proud to call her my captain,” Ellie Kildoon, who was named player of the match, told the BBC. “She doesn’t just wear her heart on her sleeve, but you can see it.
“Whether it’s her hair that goes everywhere or the way she smiles and laughs, the energy she radiates is contagious and bleeds into everyone around her.”
Parker’s milestone and first game in charge of new head coach John Mitchell didn’t start as planned, with Beckett picking up an early red card.
The Gloucester Hartpury player was initially sent to the penalty box for a dangerous tackle on Michaela Sillary, but it was upgraded as it was judged to be highly dangerous and could not be mitigated. red.
Most people watching the game would have expected a strong performance from England, but Italy held their own with a strong and impressive defense. The first score didn’t come until the 31st minute, when Hannah Botterman shot.
Abby Ward was the next to score, scoring on her return to the England squad after giving birth last year. Two errors from fly half Zoe Harrison left the score 10-0 at the break.
England then found their form, scoring six tries in the second half. The first comes from Packer’s rolling mallet.
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Italy started to put together some promising attacks, but they were ineffective and the visitors made them pay for the individual brilliance of Kildune, who beat several defenders to score the extra point. Parker was mesmerized before the game even started and received a standing ovation.
Mackenzie Carson, Connie Powell, Rowland and Kildoon completed the scoring but the game didn’t end well for the Red Roses. Rowland received a yellow card for a dangerous clearance in the bunker – it was moved to the bunker but was still a yellow card. Italy also lost a player as Emma Stefanin was sent off for cynical play.
Defending champions England are at the top of the standings after the first round and are level with France on points after defeating Ireland, but the Red Rose are at the top due to a points gap. Scotland are in third place after beating Wales away from home for the first time in 20 years.
While England and France are the favorites to win the title, third place will also qualify for next year’s Rugby World Cup in England. The Red Rose and France have already qualified, so the second-placed team in the Six Nations will advance.
The opening weekend of football shows that the fight for the final spot will be a fascinating one.
The team at the top of the table remains England and Parker’s 100% winning record as captain looks likely to remain unchanged. But if France’s discipline remains at its current level, they will be salivating at the prospect of facing England in the final round.
Parker told the BBC: “There were a few soft errors that let us down. When we tried to let off the handbrake it didn’t go the way we wanted. But it’s the first game of the championship. We’ll Fix the issues and come back stronger against Wales next week.”
