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Injury strikes Red Roses preseason: 'It doesn’t feel like I have luck on my side'

Red Roses players during a preseason session. Credit: Red Roses/RFU

Week four has been different… the rugby is ramping up; the tactical knowledge is starting to click and there’s a real buzz on both sides of the ball. The difference is that I haven’t been in the thick of it. Unfortunately, last week I sustained an ankle injury which has sidelined me for a few weeks.

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It doesn’t really feel like I have luck on my side at the minute. However, I am pushing all those negative feelings to the side because I still have the possibility of getting back for WXV. I have never had an injury where there is a chance of still being involved in a campaign. With my hamstring and thumb, it was surgery straight away, so I knew my involvements were done.

With this timeline, I could make it back in time to travel to Canada, so my mentality has completely shifted. I will do everything in my power to get back fit and put myself in the best position for selection.

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‘This Energy Never Stops’ – One year to go until the Women’s Rugby World Cup

With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

Register now for the ticket presale

Video Spacer

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – One year to go until the Women’s Rugby World Cup

With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

Register now for the ticket presale

Last week we had a meeting with Patrick (our leadership and culture consultant) about leading oneself. He got us to consider how we get better at leading ourselves and the different stepping stones to achieving greatness. I figured out that I am driven by an outcome rather than a process.

However, I think this is a great opportunity to follow a process as I know that I need to follow everything I have been given by physios and S&Cs to stay on track.

This includes taking collagen 45 minutes before completing my rehab. I have never spoken to Alexa as much as I have this week – “Alexa, set a 45-minute timer”. By doing this and following the process, if I don’t make it back in time, I can hold my head high saying I did everything I could.

Last Friday I attended an appearance at Allianz Stadium to do some filming for Allianz alongside Abby Dow and Marlie Packer. There were a few different elements to the day. It started off with a quiz with buzzers.

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Let’s just say, Marlie was very competitive and would buzz halfway through the question! Abby could reel off fun facts about the history of the stadium and I was looking at the producer whilst they were arguing about who buzzed first to get her to tell me the answer! You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled on socials to see who won.

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We also spoke about the Paralympics that Allianz are proud sponsors of. I love Charlotte Henshaw’s story as she transferred from swimming to Paracanoe later on in her career and has continued to thrive at the top level. It resonated with me because I started rugby at 16 and worked hard to catch up with girls who started age five or six.

On the weekend, the 2014 World Cup-winning squad had their 10-year anniversary. The first post I saw on my socials on Saturday morning was their rendition of Never Forget. I bet they couldn’t believe it had been plastered all over for everyone to see, but it’s also one of those memories that they will quite literally never forget.

It was nice to follow their 2014km challenge which finished at the stadium with Gary Street in attendance. Gary also visited camp this week and it was great to see the bond and affection so many of the current players and staff have with him.

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The latest addition in camp has been our shiny new coffee machine and it is beautiful! I’m still getting used to having to weigh out my beans and time the pour, but it is great to have good coffee in camp again.

Right… time to go! There’s rehab to be done.

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J
JW 4 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

I can guarantee that none of the three would have got a chance with Ireland in the state they arrived from NZ.

Why would you think they would?

Two of them were at Leinster and were bench-warmers when they arrived

Sometimes you can be beyond stupid JW.

Haha look who's talking! Hello? Can you just read what you wrote about Leinster to yourself again please lol

It took prob four seasons to get James Lowe's defence up to the required standard to play international footy. If Jacob Stockdale had not experienced a big slump in form he might not have gotten the chance at all.

I'm really not sure why you're making this point. Do you think Ireland are a better team than the All Blacks, where those players would have been straight in? This is like ground hog day the movie with you. Can you not remember much of the discussions, having so many readers/commentors? Yup, 26/7/8 would have been the perfect age for them to have been capped by NZ as well.


Actually, they would obviously have been capped given an opportunity earlier (where they were ineligible to for Ireland).


TTT, who was behind JGP at the Hurricanes, got three AB caps after a couple of further seasons acting as a backup SR player, once JGP left of course. In case you didn't see yourself contradicting your own comments above, JGP was just another player who became first choice for Ireland while 2nd (or even 3rd/outside the 23 in recent cases) for Leinster. And fair enough, no one is suggesting JGP would have surpassed TJP in three or four years either. He would have been an All Black though, and unlike in your Leinster example, similar performances from him would have seen TJP move on earlier to make way for him. Not limited him like he was in Ireland. That's just the advantage of the way they can only afford so many. Hell, one hit wonders like Seta Tamanivalu and Malakai Fekitoa got rocketed into the jersey at the time.


So not just him. Aki and Lowe both would have had opportunities, as you must know has been pointed out by now. It's true that the adversity of having to move to Ireland added a nice bit of mongrel to their game though, along with their typical development.


Aki looked comfortable as the main 12 in his first two seasons, he was fortunate SBW went back to league for a season you could say, but as a similar specialist he ultimate had to give the spot back again on his return. There's certainly no doubt he would have returned and flourished with coachs like Rennie, Wayne Smith, and Andrew Strawbridge, even Tom Coventry. All fair for him to take up an immediate contract instead of wait a year of course though.


It's just whatever the point of your comments are meant to make, your idea that these players wouldn't have achieved high honors in NZ is simply very shortsighted and simplistic. I can only think you are making incorrect conclusions about this topic because of this mistake. As a fan, Aki was looking to be the Nonu replacement for me, but instead the country had the likes of Laumape trying to fill those boots with him available. Ditto with Lowe once Rieko moved to center.

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