Meg Jones: England to the Women’s Rugby World Cup final, to inspire!

Meg Jones: “The victory against France was just what we needed”

England center, Meg Jones, has acknowledged that the hard-fought semi-final victory over France was “exactly what we needed” before next week’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final. The “Red Roses” secured their place in their seventh consecutive final with a 35-17 victory in Bristol, although the score suggests it was an easier afternoon than it actually was. France dominated ball possession with 61%, and although England was more effective, they were forced to work hard to achieve their successes, making 231 tackles against France’s 90. Jones, who lived up to his reputation with four ball recoveries, stated that it was the type of battle his team had been looking for before the final.

“I asked one thing of the girls and it was that they choose with what intensity they were going to hit and inspire the person next to them,” Jones told the media. “At 100% I believe that’s exactly what we needed. Everyone is always going to have an opinion on how we play and how the game is, but let me tell you that defense defines us.”

Meg Jones

“I think we have a lot of heart and desire in this team and we are also enjoying what we do. I hope you see the fun out there, there are good celebrations and we are trying to enjoy the game as much as we can.” “The pressure is already great, let’s not make it any greater. Let’s enjoy it as it is.” Canada awaits at next week’s event, with the prospect of winning the World Cup at home in front of 80,000 fans at Twickenham, something exciting for Jones. “I was holding back the tears [after the semi-final], because I think it’s everything we’ve worked for,” Jones said. “It’s huge for us. Honestly, I think the most important thing is to inspire a nation and girls and boys from all over the country, I am very proud of what we have built and what we continue to build.” “We will enjoy the moment we have had together. There will be many songs and we know we will return to it soon [on Sunday], a great day of recovery, a great week ahead.” “We’ve earned another week, and we’ll try again.”