Going into their WXV Global Series game against England’s world champion Red Roses in Harrison, New Jersey, on Friday, the US Eagles women have five successive wins and a squad mixing great experience with great youth. Among potentially great younger players is the first American ever nominated for a major World Rugby award. Still a student at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, she has had an extraordinary season.
My job is to make other people look good, but I just give the ball to Freda, and she runs through 10 people.” Freda Tafuna, the US No 8, is only 23. Out of Lindenwood University in St Charles, Missouri, she won the MA Sorensen Award for college player of the year twice before taking part in the World Cup in England last year. She shone there, scoring two tries against Australia and four against Samoa.
Last Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee, Tafuna scored three in a 54-24 win over Italy. That lifted the US one place to sixth in the world rankings. The last time the teams met, in the World Cup opener in front of 43,000, England won 69-7.
But the women’s game is shifting a little. At the top, the Red Roses’ 41-game, four-year unbeaten streak ended this month with two defeats by Canada. The Eagles contest supremacy in an improving middle tier, having beaten Ireland and Australia this year.
Asked what England might now know about his team, Hanratty said: “They know the No 8. Freda has been incredible with the carry meters. I would say they know more of our names … We have had good entries into the 22.
So how do we get in there? We’ve had great try rates. I’d say all of this information will be done and they’ll be looking at our defense and trying to test us in new ways.
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