“ENGLAND MUST DOMINATE THE HEADLINES.FOR THEM IT IS NOW.OR MAYBE NEVER'

Stephen Jones insists that only victory will suffice for the Red Roses in a Women's World Cup that must take off like a forest fire

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Rugby's most outspoken and influential journalist

IT HAS been a rare event over the years to find fault with John Mitchell, a very fine and fierce back-row forward in his playing days, a former All Blacks coach and now coach of the Red Roses for the forthcoming World Cup.

His track record in all departments is excellent and in my opinion, the edge which Mitchell provides is essential in the cause of transforming England from runners-up in the tournament, so that they regain the trophy they last won in 2014.

But this time, I cannot agree with the great man. Mitchell said recently, while some of us were away in Australia, that for England not to win their own World Cup would not necessarily represent failure.

For me, they must win, otherwise they have failed. The Red Roses are playing at home, their team has been fully professional for way longer than any other team, they have an extensive fixture list and they have home support. It is now, or maybe never.

Keen readers might remember that we on this magazine demanded that England had to win the last two World Cups in Ireland and New Zealand, but they came apart at the seams in the second half of both finals, both against the Black Ferns. They wavered tactically and horrendously, and they lost both titles.

In New Zealand three years ago, they comfortably had the weapons for victory but lost in the final against the Black Ferns, even though when the teams had met previously that season, England had crushed their oldest enemies.

The years since that defeat in New Zealand have dragged by, with England still steamrolling almost every opponent, and still regretting the two World Cup finals they really should have won. To lose three on the trot would be horrific.