John Mitchell has advised his England team to maintain their aggressive style of play despite the disciplinary issues that have affected their Women’s Six Nations campaign.
The Red Roses have received two red cards in three matches, with No 8 Sarah Beckett being sent off in the first game against Italy and hooker Amy Cokayne being dismissed against Scotland.
Despite playing with a player down, England convincingly defeated both opponents and are aiming for their sixth consecutive Championship title as they face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
While Mitchell emphasizes the importance of refining techniques where necessary, he also values the team’s physicality as a key weapon.
“I want us to continue playing on the edge, but we also need to be mindful of adjusting our behavior,” said the Red Roses head coach.
“In Amy’s incident, she needs to get her head under the ball. Obviously that’s something you put the ownership on the individual to change.
“We probably let the pressure off on Scotland. There were a number of times when we had the foot on their throats. We’d rather that turn into attack for us.
“There’s some good things we’ve learned from it, but we’re certainly not going to go away from being on the edge. It’s what drives us. It’s what the game’s all about and we want to turn defence into points.”
Hooker Amy Cokayne was red carded last week vs Scotland after two yellows for dangerous tackles
Beckett received a three-match ban for a dangerous clearout, while Cokayne’s two yellow cards for a dangerous clearout and dangerous tackle resulted in a one-game suspension.
Both players will be eligible to play in the anticipated Grand Slam decider against France in Bordeaux next Saturday.
England had prepared for the possibility of losing their No 8 and hooker before each game, as defense coach Sarah Hunter had simulated such scenarios during training sessions.
“We’ve asked Sarah Hunter not to present us with any more scenarios!” joked captain Marlie Packer.
No 8 Sarah Beckett was red carded in Round 1 vs Italy for a dangerous clearout
“And then last week ‘hooker you’ve got a card, go off’. And that might have happened in a game. So we’ve kind of told Sarah not to do that any more!”
Twickenham is expected to host almost 50,000 spectators on Saturday, prompting England to modify their training routines at their Surrey base to simulate the anticipated atmosphere.
“Earlier in the week, during our low-key indoor training sessions, we incorporated crowd noise. I personally found it beneficial,” Mitchell commented.
“It provides a different perspective for us. This new approach we’ve introduced this week has elevated our performance. Hopefully, we can translate it onto the pitch on Saturday.”
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