Red Roses next coach: How do England go up a level?
Simon Middleton's advice to his successor was simple: "be yourself." The outgoing head coach believes that England need an injection of energy, and someone to put their own spin on things.
Middleton has left behind undeniably sturdy foundations. This season's Grand Slam was achieved without a number of influential players, testament to impressive depth. How, then, do England reach the next stage?
Given that she only turned 21 in February, we can look forward to years of Kabeya excellence. Relentless and technically sharp, she used this Six Nations to spring-broad from a promising World Cup and must be a mainstay. Her ability to generate momentum through contact is rare.
In his post-match press conference on Saturday, Middleton impressed his view that Marlie Packer, now 33, has plenty in the tank. That may be true, but it should happen in tandem with Kabeya. The dynamic duo seem to enjoy playing together, and combined beautifully to pierce the gain-line against France.
The third back-row position, at the base of the scrum, would appear to be up for grabs in the wake of Sarah Hunter's retirement. Alex Matthews, athletic and resourceful, has been given a crack and bagged three tries. Depending on the desired balance of the back five, with Sarah Beckett pressing her claim at lock, Poppy Cleall could be a fine foil for Packer and Kabeya.
The sigh said it all. Asked how she had found an outing at outside centre against France, Rowland gave a self-deprecating response that underlined what a challenge it had been.
"Alright," she smiled. "It's a tough place to be. Anyone who's been asked to play at 13 will tell you that it can be pretty isolating defensively. Whether it's a long-term thing or not, we'll wait and see."
That Rowland was promoted to start the Grand Slam decider, at the expense of Lagi Tuima, was an illustration of her value to Middleton. Her place-kicking and her poise on the ball are big assets and it was the 23-year-old's break, instigated by a darting step past Gabrielle Vernier, that spurred England into action after a nervy opening.
Competition across in the midfield is ferocious. Holly Aitchison and Tatyana Heard had strong Championships at fly-half and inside centre, respectively. The former is a tidy playmaker, the latter a devastating runner. Zoe Harrison and Emily Scarratt will be back soon enough. Rowland has also played for England at full-back, where Ellie Kildunne is thriving. Difficult calls lie ahead.
The first 15 minutes on Saturday resembled the cagey World Cup pool match between the same sides, in which France played on their standing as underdogs by staying patient in the kicking exchanges. They dominated territory, almost daring their opponents to run the ball from deep, and had England rattled. The hosts invited pressure upon themselves because they kicked poorly.
There is a place for kicking in their game plan, obviously. Kildunne found space in France's back-field with a superb strike in the 35th minute. Kabeya chased and forced a counter-rucking turnover. Moments later, Lucy Packer's close-range snipe had earned a penalty try.
Generally, though, it felt as though England's kicking – occasionally rushed and inaccurate – caused them as many problems as it solved. Developed further, their intricate and powerful phase-play can become even more devastating.
Packer's try was an example of diligent, coordinated attack. England initially lost impetus as the brilliant Vernier collared Rowland behind the gain-line. Rather than panic, they kept their composure. Kabeya's carry regained momentum. From there came a precise team movement.
Aitchison circled behind Marlie Packer, whose pass travelled behind the convincing decoy run of Beckett to her fly-half. A snappy take-and-give from Aitchison gave Heard room to carve into the 22 and the skipper followed up to receive a diving offload.
The new coaching team should encourage principles such as roaming, playmaking wings – Claudia MacDonald came off her flank to feed Abby Dow for try number one – while retaining a foundation of tough breakdown defence and set-piece solidity.
This last point works on two levels. England's subdued start did not cost them any points on Saturday, but a poor second period could have thrown away a Grand Slam. The previous week in Cork, they had let Ireland off the hook when a heavy scoreline was eminently possible. England have earned the right for judges to be ultra-critical, and ruthlessness must be their aim within games.
Finally, to keep collecting trophies. The next one up for grabs is the WXV in October, when England, France and Wales will be joined by three of Australia, Canada, USA and the Black Ferns in an inaugural tournament. While it is a shame for the initiative to be staged during the men's World Cup, there has been a suggestion that it will be held in New Zealand. Avenging an agonising World Cup defeat would be an ideal way for the new coach to mark a new era.
