Ellie Kildunne misses the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final match
England’s outstanding fullback, Ellie Kildunne, will not be able to participate in the crucial quarter-final match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup against Scotland, scheduled for next weekend. Kildunne suffered a head injury during England’s 47-7 victory over Australia on Saturday in Brighton, forcing her to leave the field in the second half of the match. Following this incident, it has been confirmed that Kildunne will have to observe a mandatory 12-day rest period. It is important to note that Kildunne was not subjected to a concussion assessment (HIA) at the time of her substitution, but was permanently removed from the field by the team doctor. In addition, the English team will be attentive to the physical condition of Hannah Botterman, star pillar, who also had to be substituted in the first half of the match due to a back spasm. The team led by John Mitchell will face Scotland next Sunday in Bristol. Despite the convincing victory, the match against Australia was not as easy as the score indicates. The Wallaroos scored the first point of the match and led until the 28th minute. However, England managed to score seven tries, thus ensuring a perfect performance in the group stage.
“We didn’t start well, we looked clumsy and disorganized in attack, but I think our defense was outstanding,” Mitchell commented. “Sometimes the attack doesn’t work, but it was something that was under our control, so we will reflect on our preparation. The defense was outstanding.”
John Mitchell
England captain Alex Matthews also offered her perspective:Sadia Kabeya added: “Yes, definitely, it was our most difficult match so far. You can see that in the first half they pressed us. But we needed it. There are many things to work on and fix. We trust the plan. We just went out and did what we had to do.
Sadia Kabeya
England will now move to Bristol to prepare for the match against Scotland.“It’s been the most difficult match in the first 40 minutes; normally our lineup is perfect, but the number of mistakes was quite high. We just needed to be more patient and direct.”
Alex Matthews
“It’s great to play against Scotland: they are playing well in this tournament, so they are two countries with a rich history in rugby and, considering what they have had to experience with the conditions of the contracts, they are doing a remarkable job playing for each other,” said Mitchell.
John Mitchell
