We learned from errors of men's 2019 final, insists Mitchell

Red Roses coach believes his side have managed emotional toll well at this World Cup

- Sarah Rendell

John Mitchell has learned from his experience of the men's 2019 Rugby World Cup final and insists he has not made the same mistakes as coach of England's women as they target the victory over Canada that will deliver glory in the final tomorrow.

Mitchell admits that England's men failed to "handle the emotional tank well" in 2019 when he was their defence coach. In stark contrast, his Red Roses finalists "have managed it", he says as the head coach looks forward to tomorrow's showpiece at a sold-out Twickenham. Mitchell was one of Eddie Jones's assistants when they lost to South Africa in Japan after beating New Zealand in the semifinal.

"I still look back on 2019 and the semifinal was a huge performance and I think we sometimes as coaches don't recognise the emotional tank plus the physical tank that is emptied in such occasions," said Mitchell. "We possibly in 2019 didn't deal with the emotional tank, refill it well enough.