Two years ago the criticism levelled at England was that their attack was predictable as they relied on their maul to get them over the line. When John Mitchell took over the Red Roses before the 2024 Six Nations, the head coach and his staff, particularly the attack coach, Lou Meadows, diversified that area of their game.
While the maul was still lethal, the backs were getting their hands on the ball more with the top three try-scorers across last year’s Six Nations being England’s full-back Ellie Kildunne (nine) and the wings Abby Dow (five) and Jess Breach (four).
With that fixed, England last year were criticised for their lack of discipline after two red and two yellow cards during the 2024 Six Nations. But that has not been an issue in the 2025 tournament, with no cards given to an England player in their opening three matches.
So the Red Roses have corrected their flaws while maintaining high levels across the other areas of their game. It leaves their dominance open to nitpicking. It could be said that England have yet to produce a complete 80-minute performance in this campaign, the Wales game in round two coming the closest to reaching that level.
It is not just those outside Mitchell’s camp who are going over their games with a fine-tooth comb. Emily Scarratt, who will win her 118th cap from the bench against Scotland on Saturday, says the team are trying to fine tune the details. “I think nitpicking is also really important for us,” the 35-year-old centre says.
“Sometimes you want to be the very best version of yourselves as individuals and as a team and units within that. We always look closely at those bits to try to improve. Nothing is ever going to be perfect but certainly we can try to always make those things better.
“We look at the game as a whole, we look at opportunities when we play a certain opposition that we may be able to home in on a little bit more. Obviously the basics remain in terms of having a really strong set piece, the girls have been smashing that so far.
“[It’s about] just quality of basics and looking after the ball. Defensively I think we have made some good strides as well, we are being tested a bit more with quality of opposition but we are just trying to keep pushing on steadily in all of those areas.”
While England seem to be going from strength to strength, Scotland head into the match off the back of a disappointing result. The 25-17 loss to Italy has left them “wounded and hurt”, according to the openside flanker Rachel McLachlan, who will win her 50th cap against England.
The Scotland head coach, Bryan Easson, says he wants to see an improved game from his side, but they will have to cope without their captain, Rachel Malcolm, after she sustained a head injury against Italy. It has been almost four years since Malcolm was not involved in a Scotland match-day squad.
Yet she will still be a presence at Welford Road. “We will use her in the correct ways on Saturday,” Easson says. “She will be around the team and the coaches. It is important she sees and hears what we see on match day. You don’t get an opportunity to do that often because when players like Rachel are fit they will be involved. If she sees or feels what we are in the coaching box and she hears why or how communication is made, it will help that relationship we already have grow.”
England are heavy favourites since Scotland have never beaten them in the Six Nations. Their last victory over the Red Roses in any competition came in 1999. In 2011 the Scots were hammered 89-0 but that record win is unlikely to be bettered in Leicester, even for this Red Roses team. If England manage to get anywhere near that standard the nitpicking will surely cease.
