England bulldoze Scotland for grand slam showdown

Perhaps it is a mark of England’s superiority over their rivals that they can be such strong favourites for a home World Cup without yet knowing whose hand will at the fly-half tiller.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

A big decision looms for John Mitchell, the Red Roses head coach facing a problem of playmaking plenty. A drizzly afternoon in Leicester proved dreich for an overmatched Scotland but nonetheless offered England 10 Holly Aitchison a chance to strut her stuff most impressively.

Mitchell’s third fly-half of the campaign may yet prove herself again his best option. Aitchison had seemingly seized the shirt with a superlative 2024, illustrating England’s attacking game with the broad brush strokes of an artist coming into her own, able to paint in the abstract and with pointillist precision. But a shaky showing under pressure from Canada at WXV, and a slight tweak in gameplan, brought both the versatile Helena Rowland and, particularly, Zoe Harrison back into the frame.

This, though, was a showing to remind Mitchell and all at Welford Road of Aitchison’s class. Her passing game, peerless within even this squad, helped England run riot as they continue to steamroll all in their path. Nine tries arrived even on an uncharacteristic off-day for full-back Ellie Kildunne and with the hosts squandering plenty of chances – such is life, sadly, in a tournament struggling more and more for competitive jeopardy.