It’s about finalising our preparation, and we’re in a good place, he added.
France are a good team, they’re unbeaten and they’re pretty focused on what they want to do. We’re going to have to be right on our game, and we need to be able to take our opportunities when they come.
The Red Roses are aiming to secure their fourth consecutive Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam title, a feat that has never been achieved before. With the Women’s Rugby World Cup on the horizon, Mitchell and his team are focused on making history and setting themselves up for success in the upcoming tournament.
England will face France in the Grand Slam decider on Saturday at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The match is expected to be a thrilling encounter between two unbeaten teams vying for the top spot in the Six Nations standings. Fans can expect an exciting display of women’s rugby as these two powerhouse teams go head-to-head in a battle for supremacy.
It’s an exciting mix, it’s a powerful mix, and the whole squad wins as a result of this, because I think every week we prepare, we’ve got an opposition [in training] that’s just as good as the team that’s selected.
So they present plenty of failure at training and create a lot of situations where we’ve got to resolve situations before we go into performance, so it’s been a good prep.
England have won their four Women’s Six Nations fixtures so far this championship by an average of 46 points.
Asked what he’s learned about his squad so far, Mitchell – who’s been in charge of the Red Roses since 2023 – praised his side for their fierce competitiveness and strong team cohesion.
“I’ve learnt they’re extremely competitive, they’re very hard-working, there’s a high level of care and there’s a high level of connection. When somebody wobbles – we’re all humans – they make sure they tap the person on the shoulder and realign them and keep them connected to the purpose. We’ve come a long way since WXV in Vancouver. The connection within the group is huge. We’re a better rugby team. We know our game’s working, we know it’s the right way.”
England confirmed their side to face France on Thursday but will have to get the job done without current World Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne, who misses out due to a hamstring injury.
Mitchell played down the severity of the injury and emphasised the importance of trusting the whole squad.
“I think she could have got by, from what I know, but it’s important to back everyone within our group. We don’t want to lose Ellie. Clearly, we obviously want her to be part of our home World Cup as well. It’s really important to back the whole of the squad. Emma Sing has been a world-class full-back in Premiership Women’s Rugby, unfortunately we just don’t see her enough in an England jersey. Now she gets a chance on the weekend, which will be really good for her and really good for us.”
England captain Aldcroft looking forward to ‘big Twickenham crowd’ vs favourite opponent
With 40,000 fans expected in Twickenham, England skipper Zoe Aldcroft will captain the side for the fifth Test in a row on Saturday.
“France are one of my favourite teams to play,” she told Sky Sports. “Despite winning a lot, we have targets we want to meet.”