Such is England’s dominance of the Women’s Six Nations that the greatest challenge each player faces is earning a spot in the starting lineup. In every position Simon Middleton’s side possess two or three world-class talents capable of walking into any other team in the world. But no competition is as hotly contested as the one under way at fly-half.
On Sunday, Zoe Harrison will wear No 10 against Ireland at Welford Road but it could just as easily be Helena Rowland, who starts at 15. Both play fly‑half, for Saracens and Loughborough Lightning respectively, but they bring a different approach to the role.
The 24-year-old Harrison is the traditional 10. Cool under pressure, accurate when kicking out of hand, she organises the line with military precision. Rowland, at 22, is the fleet-footed, side-stepping pivot who breaks the play open with a drop of her hip. Understandably, both chafe against the idea that their games can be so neatly pigeonholed.
“It’s been overdone and it’s not entirely true,” says Harrison. “[Rowland] is a great stepper. But she can control things as well. She’s not one-dimensional at all and our kicking game is pretty similar.”
Rowland also pushes back. “It’s potentially lazy, maybe, but I understand why people do it,” she says. “Zoe can run and step. I’ve seen her open things up by straightening the line. The more we train together, the more we play together, the more we develop our games. I’m constantly asking her about what she’s better at and she’s the same with me. We help each other. That can only be good for the team.”
The pair came together as young girls at Welwyn Rugby Club. The Hertfordshire club have produced nine England players, including the prop Hannah Botterman. But even at such a productive talent factory, Rowland and Harrison stood out.
“It was obvious early on that they’d be England internationals,” says Jonathan Cirkel, Welwyn’s girls coordinator. “Helena always had that pace and step and Zoe was pure class. But more than their talent they worked hard. Both of them would stay longer and work on their kicking and could both kick goals from the touchline, which is a rare thing in the girl’s game.
“They were always asking questions, wanting to get better. There’s a reason they are where they are. We’re so proud of what they’ve done but no one is surprised.”
They were united again in the inaugural Premier 15s competition in 2017 where they played leading roles in guiding Saracens to the final. In Ealing, alongside seven other Welwyn graduates including the club captain, Lotte Clapp, Rowland kicked two conversions and Harrison started at 10 in a 24-20 win over Harlequins.
“That was special,” Harrison says. “We were so young. It felt like we’d be playing together for a long time.”
Before the 2018-19 season, Rowland joined Great Britain’s sevens programme in an effort to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. When the Games were postponed due to Covid-19, the sevens squad had their funding cut and Rowland returned to the 15s side. When she did, Harrison and herself knew that they had a fight on their hands. “When she came back, there were a few games when she started at 10 and I was benched,” Harrison says. “I’m not going to lie, that stung.”
Unlike Harrison, Rowland is not picky when it comes to the number on her back. “I just want to be in the starting XV,” she says. “The way we play, 12 is like a second 10 anyway. Other people on the outside make a bigger deal of it than it actually is. Wherever the coaches think I can do a job I’ll play there.”
Perhaps that is why Harrison now looks firmly in control of this trumped-up contest. Their two contrasting philosophies over this position also suggests Harrison is the safe bet come the World Cup final in November in New Zealand.
“I’m bossier than Helena is and I think that’s an important trait for a fly-half,” Harrison says. “You need to take control, be a leader. I’m not saying Helena can’t do that, but it comes more naturally to me.
“Look at the match stats for a fly-half. They’re often not impressive. But they’re the conductors. You need to be a bit bossy to tell people where to go and how to play. That’s a skill you can learn. My brother [the former Wasps full-back Alex] and my dad [John, who played for Wales Schools] helped me develop that.”
That is not to say that this duel has run its course. “To have the 10 jersey in a World Cup final would be amazing,” Rowland says. She hasn’t given up on that dream just yet.
