England captain Meg Jones has challenged the Red Roses to keep their rivals guessing, warning that the team’s unbeaten aura is gone and they must become more unpredictable to stay at the head of rugby’s world order. Her comments came after England’s nine-try demolition of the USA in New Jersey.
England’s Red Roses in action (Credits: BBC Sport)
The win followed a bruising stretch for the world champions: their four-year, 41-match unbeaten run was ended by a pair of defeats by Canada earlier this month, while New Zealand threatened victory at Allianz Stadium last month, only undone by Zoe Harrison’s final-play try.
Meg Jones: Red Roses Must Evolve and Become Unpredictable
Jones, who took over as captain, said England could not stand still. “Teams are getting better, that’s the nature of it,” she said. “It happened in the men’s game, it’s happened in the women’s game, and we’ve just got to start being probably more unpredictable.”
The 2025 Rugby World Cup winners had feared dropping to third in the world rankings — a nightmare scenario of a 15-point defeat to the USA combined with a New Zealand win over France. It never looked likely, but Jones said the experience had taught them plenty: “We’ve learned loads on this tour, and gained so much feedback from where we want to keep growing, getting better and keep pushing.”
Red Roses’ Attack Expanding Ahead of 2027 Six Nations
The USA win itself showcased the expanded attack Jones wants — tries from the front row, back row, midfield and back three, with Claudia Moloney-MacDonald scoring four. “We played the game that we love to play, which is front-foot ball, attacking well, everyone an option, our props running through the middle,” Jones added.
“I think there is hunger inside of us, that always keeps us ticking and keeps us at the top level. You can’t be satisfied,” she said. “I don’t think you can stand still when you’re playing competitive sport, so we’re constantly striving to grow and be better.”
England will attempt to lift a ninth successive Women’s Six Nations title next spring, starting with Wales in their tournament opener on 10 April.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
