England's wing wonder has escaped her sister's shadow

As she prepares to win her 50th cap, Abby Dow opens up to Harry Latham-Coyle about dreading game day, studying the world’s best wings and feeding off being the youngest sibling

- Harry Latham-Coyle

The markets may be in turmoil, but the stock of one Dow remains sky-high. Perched on a bean bag adjacent to the training pitch at England's Bagshot base, flannel draped across her forehead after a tough session in the unseasonable spring sunshine, Abby Dow, the Red Roses' arch-finisher, is chronicling the experiences that have helped turn her into perhaps the finest wing in the world.

It is a conversation that meanders from the intricacies of wing play through the tough times of losing her father and suffering a serious leg injury ahead of the 2022 Rugby World Cup. The analytical wing takes each question in turn with the depth of thought one might expect from a woman with a master’s in mechanical engineering. But, halfway through a conversation in the week in which she wins her 50th cap comes a surprising admission, when I ask the 27-year-old for some of the highlights of her first 49 appearances in England white.

“I hate game day so much.” Dow concedes. This requires further probing. “I dread it. I fear it,” she continues. “Because I am so competitive, I stress at the idea of not being the best and being disappointed in myself.

“I’ve been working on trying to appreciate those moments. It’s so annoying because as soon as the game starts, I’m fine. The opportunity to be a professional rugby player is an absolute privilege. But it is something that I will always have to work with. I want to be the best version of myself. I’ve talked to psychologists before about it… I 100 per cent enjoy it but I have a fear of disappointment. I’m always going to have nerves before a game but I am working to make it happier for me.”