7 days ago
Helena Rowland is rugby's most versatile player
John Mitchell hailed her as 'Miss Versatility' in the week and Helena Rowland sure enough lived up to that tag during England's World Cup warm-up rout against Spain.
Rowland could be England's secret weapon this World Cup, given she epitomises the very definition of a utility back. A finely balanced runner, she has enjoyed a nomadic life in the Red Roses' back line, rocking between fly-half, both centres and full-back during her career.
That theme continued in a glorified training session against Las Leonas at Welford Road, where Rowland marked her first Test start on the wing with a 43-minute hat-trick in the 97-7 thumping.
The strength of her performance underlined why she is such a crucial part of Mitchell's contingency planning should injuries arise during the World Cup. The Red Roses head coach has even indicated that Rowland will provide back-up as a fourth scrum-half for the tournament, with nine being the only position she is yet to cover in an England shirt. That means she can cover the entire back line.
'She's probably the most valuable person in the team,' said Mitchell in the build-up. 'She's probably the first player in the 23 in my view. She's an outstanding rugby player. I'll always tend to think around where I can fit her into the group. She's competing in a lot of positions which are three deep, so that's the challenge for her. The tournament is going to raise injuries, so you have to have the ability to bring up a team-mate and say, 'You're in'.'
In an illustration of her adaptability, Rowland shifted to fly-half after her hat-trick heroics when Zoe Harrison, who had enjoyed a stellar display, was replaced. England went on to score 35 more points with her pulling the strings at 10 to close out a near-flawless performance for the Red Roses, which was overshadowed by Marlie Packer's red card.
'It was a chance to go out there, run and have a bit of freedom. I enjoyed it out there, whether or not it will stick, it was a fun run out,' said player-of-the-match Rowland. 'I don't score that many tries so to get three in a game is always nice. We put some nice stuff out there, from off the training park. There's still some stuff to fix up, as we knew there always would be. It's the first game after quite a long time. It was enjoyable out there and we've got to focus on next week now.'
It was no coincidence that England found great joy down Rowland's flank, where she shone with her industriousness and intrepid footwork. It took less than 10 minutes for her to open her try-scoring account from out wide, beating Claudia Pena and darting over in the corner.
But it was her hustling on the edges which was most impressive. The wing can be a lonely place for first-timers, but Rowland passed her test with flying colours. After 10 weeks of gruelling pre-season training, she looks more robust than ever and her physicality in the contact was self-evident.
She made vital metres down her wing after gathering a tricky pass from Meg Jones in the build-up to Packer's try and made important yardage moments later for Jess Breach, who finished off a lateral English attack.
She was on the scoreboard again when Harrison threw an exquisite pass to her for an easy dive over and she extended her highlights reel towards the end of the half when she evaded at least four Spanish shirts.
Rowland duly completed a trio of scores after the break, combining astutely with Maddie Feaunati after some great athleticism from Jade Shekells, which signalled the end of stint on the wing as she shifted to fly-half. Mitchell has spoken about her exemplary attitude in being a shape shifter, and she slotted into the role seamlessly.
For all of Rowland's sparkle on the wing – and England's 15-try rout – we should not read too much into this Spanish inquisition. Las Leonas, who were missing key Harlequins prop Laura Delgado, are ranked 13th in the world and will feature in next month's tournament for the first time since 2017.
Aside from being held up over the line after half an hour and a moment of magic from Pena – the Harlequins full-back who snake-hipped her way through England's defence – they never properly troubled the hosts. The Red Roses know much spicier tests lie ahead.
