Head coach John Mitchell’s goal at the start of this year was to develop the talent in his England squad in order to have “one team operating as two”.
Mitchell believed just one team was not enough to play 13 Test matches this year.
The New Zealander dislikes the word ‘rotation’ and instead strives for seamless transition between his two squads.
He used 34 players in this year’s Women’s Six Nations and still managed to secure a seventh consecutive title.
The Red Roses fielded their strongest side in the opening game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup and comfortably breezed past the United States 69-7.
Up next in Northampton are Pool A’s weakest side Samoa, whose part-time players have had to crowd-fund to take their place in the tournament.
It is the perfect opportunity for Mitchell to hand 13 different players their first games in this year’s tournament.
But while the squad changes, the standards remain high as Mitchell’s side win close in on a place in the quarter-finals.
Driving those standards will be former skipper Marlie Packer, after captain Zoe Aldcroft was ruled out of the rest of the pool stage having sustained a knee injury against the US.
That is a prime example of why building depth was Mitchell’s priority.
“Once we earn the right, [Aldcroft] will be ready for the quarter-finals,” Mitchell told BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly.
“We are all very calm [around Aldcroft’s injury]. This is tournament rugby, you have to deal with what is chucked at you. Some people call it adversity.
“You just have to be ready.”
At the start of August, 13 of Saturday’s XV started the 97-7 thrashing of Spain, showing how ruthless both of Mitchell’s sides can be – but also how hard it is to stay in the team.
Utility back Helena Rowland, who scored a hat-trick of tries playing on the wing against Spain, starts at fly-half on Saturday having missed the opening World Cup game with an ankle injury.
The 25-year-old last started at fly-half against Italy in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations and guided the Red Roses to a 38-5 win.
The fly-half jersey has been occupied by specialists Zoe Harrison and Holly Aitchison, but with Aitchison unable to shake off an ankle injury that has kept her out of action this month, Rowland has been called in at 10 to help manage Harrison’s workload.
Harrison is back to her instrumental best, which helped guide England to the World Cup final in 2022, and needs to be protected for the bigger challenges ahead.
Rowland’s incisive running game makes the Samoa match well suited to the Loughborough Lightning back.
“Helena knows she is the most versatile person within the group. She’s highly valued,” Mitchell said.
“She’s sort of first on the team sheet in terms of 23. Zoe [Harrison] has carried a huge load in that area since the warm-up matches, so it’s good to get Helena going.
“If you look at this combination, the majority of them have played together against Italy, Spain and now they get the opportunity in the World Cup.”
