"Everest Climbers & Samoan Tattoos" - 5 Talking Points: Red Roses Squad Annoucement vs Italy Women's Six Nations

Last year, England handed Italy an emphatic 68-5 defeat, and run in 12 tries in the process. The Red Roses have since entered a new era, with head coach John Mitchell now firmly at the helm following his overseeing role he took on during the 2023 WXV.

'Mitch' and his selected captain Marlie Packer spoke to the reporting media today, after naming his match day squad, for the upcoming 2024 Women's Six Nations opener against Italy. Here are the biggest takeaways from what was discussed in the press conference.

The main story heading into this Sunday, is that Marlie Packer will make her 100th test cap for the Red Roses. Packer will become only the seventh woman in history to achieve the accolade for England, and joins the exclusive company of Amy Garnett, Rocky Clark, Tamara Taylor, Sarah Hunter, Katy Daley-Mclean and Emily Scarratt. Packer spoke about the accomplishment and looked back on her humble beginnings when she debuted for England back in 2008.

MARLIE PACKER: "I just feel extremely honored. It's always a privilege to wear the shirt and to lead out the Red Roses is something very special. But to do it on my 100th cap and also be captain is just the icing on the cake. It's something I love, I love leading the girls, I just love to put on the shirt. So yeah, just happy."

"My memories of 2008 (first cap), that's a long time ago. We played Sweden in Amsterdam, and we had Amsterdam Sevens that was going on alongside. You've got the main pitch and then we're on like the side edge pitch with I'd say probably about 100 people watching not even that, and some portaloos to the left.

"So that was my first cap, I played the first 40 minutes got taken off. And yeah, that's the last time I played that tournament. So that's about as quick as what I can remember from that cap. But I think for me, it was then that 2011/12 year where I really got back into the senior England squad and made a bit of a name for myself, I guess.

"I played in every game that that season, we won my first ever Grand Slam at Esher Rugby Club, which was pretty special back then. And then also winning player's player, which was a much more low key thing back then. It was just said in the hall after the game with just the players, which to me was still very special because your peers picked it.

"But I think from that moment you feel a belonging. And that was very much what I felt. Fast forward to now I still feel that belonging and that drive to want to give the best performance to this team and, you know, do what I can for it."

JOHN MITCHELL: "Yeah, pretty easy (to select Marlie). I mean, she's demonstrated excellence as a player and obviously very successful as a captain last year. So it's important to continue that. As I've always said, I've talked enough about her personality being a really good person that we need, somebody to go forward in your rugby team. This lady here certainly leads by example. You probably don't mind me saying, she she'll put her head on the spikes when she needs to. And she lives by her actions, you know, and it's important to."

Exeter Chiefs back-row Maddie Feaunati is set to make her Red Roses debut in Parma, after being named amongst the replacements for the 23 player squad. Feaunati is one of three uncapped players that were called into the wider training squad, yet will be the sole debutant as she is expected to come off the bench for Packer in the matches latter stages.

The England captain has been thoroughly impressed by Feaunati's fast-tracked ride to the match day squad, having only recently left the Hurricanes in New Zealand for a spot at Sandy Park. Born in Leeds to former Samoan international Zak Feaunati, whom interestingly portrayed Jonah Lomu in the 2009 film 'Invictus', The 22-year-old was also eligible to play for New Zealand and Samoa, yet opted to pursue a career with the Red Roses.

The England captain and head coach spoke about how Feaunati recently shared her heritage with the players, in talking them through her Samoan leg tattoo.

MARLIE PACKER: "The way she goes about her business in training, she's always ready to get stuck in, but then also off field, she's integrated with the team really well. We've had a couple of evenings, where we do a bit of learning about each other and as players and she got up and talked about her tattoo and where it come from and the meaning behind it.

"I think you know, that's the difference. Now, we're finding out about not just the rugby player, but also about the person. She has come into the squad and it's been seamless."

"Don't hold me to this. There's a bit of pressure now, because I don't want to get this wrong! So, the front was about her family. So her grandmother, and then also like around the edges about whereabouts her family have come from. And then she's got a bit on the side to the back is about her uncle and them."

JOHN MITCHELL: "To add to that, I heard her saying to one of the staff yesterday in between transitions, and 'wherever she walks, the other people are safe'. As a result of that (tattoo). That's the way I see it."

"There's a strong commitment to play for England. It's been there for a long time. She recognises her childhood here, like the way she's brought up. Actually it was really quite beautiful the other day, we were training at Hazelwood, London Irish's old ground, and her father was up on the honours board.

"So a couple of people brought it to her attention. And then actually, when I spoke to her, I said 'can you remember these facilities?' But she reckons she wasn't around at that point, but it was quite special for her to see her dad on the honours board."

The Red Roses have welcomed back a trio of players, all of who have not been seen on the test match stage since the 2022 Rugby World Cup Final. Emily Scarratt, Zoe Harrison and Abby Ward all took extended time away from the England camp after the defeat to the Black Ferns, but are back firing on all cylinders for the upcoming Women's Six Nations.

Scarratt and Harrison have both battled back from injuries, whilst Ward welcomed a baby to the world last Autumn. The three players are established and experienced, with plentiful leadership traits that can push England forward.

However, since they have been out of camp, there has been a re-arrangement to the leadership culture, with the Red Roses Thorns now replaced by the Game Drivers. Packer and Mitchell spoke about how the trio have settled in to this new era, as all three players prepare to start in this Sunday's match against Italy.

JOHN MITCHELL: "Thorns was a previous process that worked well for the group, then. I think we've become more performance oriented. I think we understand how the environment can affect performance. So first and foremost, we're focused on our performance, but we're very mindful of our environment.

"We're very mindful of our people belonging quickly. And we're very mindful around caring for each other. So that's kind of the focus for us, and we've got a number of processes in the week that leads from leader group to strategy groups, to drivers that lead us into the match and eventually, drive the game. It's pretty seamless.

"It's very logical, it's probably somewhat common sense. But as a leader group, we're still the the custodians of the of the environment, even though we're focused on performance."

"I don't think it's too much of a challenge for her (Emily Scarratt at inside centre) because it suits her skill set. As an experienced athlete, 13s can also lose a bit of topping pace. So we've got some girls at 13 that are pretty quick, so that's what we would prefer to have in that position. And then we obviously want to use Emily's skillset at 12. We like distribution through 12. We want to get a bit more through those hands in that position, and she definitely has got that skill set."

MARLIE PACKER: "I think they've been absolutely great, I think it's about for them and for me it's to make sure that they're in the best possible place to come and to. Not to have to worry about driving the team around the pitch, but it's actually about them being able to just put their own performance in.

"They've obviously been out for a long time, so it's making sure that they come in seamlessly and actually enjoy it. Because you know, we know as a group, we're enjoying what we're doing not just on the pitch, but off the pitch, we get the best version of that player.

"Abby Ward's come back in, great line-out leader, knows the information, her knowledge is world class. So actually making sure we're tapping into that and using it, but they've all been fantastic."

Last Autumn, Italy got a taste of winning with three consecutive triumphs in the inaugural WXV2 competition, and were narrowly edged out to the trophy by Scotland. Italy went unbeaten in the campaign with wins against South Africa, Japan and the United States, and have only been improved by the launch of their first two professional franchises.

The FIR (the Governing body of Italian rugby), launched women's teams for their United Rugby Championship clubs Benetton Treviso and Zebre Parma, in what marked a progressive move for the future of Italian women's rugby. Mitchell and Packer both praised the progress, and welcomed the challenge of a consistently improving Italian women's side.

JOHN MITCHELL: "100 days ago, I think we sent a message in Auckland (WXV win against New Zealand) that we were focused on getting better. But we also know that the opposition are going to get better as well. And we want that, bring it on. The more that you get better, the better we'll get. Because it means that we're going to have to get challenged, we will be challenged and we have to respond to that. So now we're looking forward to that. That's awesome that that's happening."

MARLIE PACKER: "I just think keep growing the game over there, which would make their game better, which then when they come into the competition, at six nations they pose harder opposition for us, which then poses different questions, which will then make us better rugby players. And that's what we want and to keep being pushed."

Reaching the summits and conquering your own personal 'Everests' have been a key teaching in the John Mitchell era with the Red Roses. The ability to take your game to new heights and reach previously unexpected peaks, is something that the England players are pushing themselves towards day in and day out at Pennyhill Park.

Mitchell and Packer had a back and forth with the reporters, about how a genuine climber who has reached the summit of Mount Everest has recently been into the Red Roses camp. Jo Bradshaw reached the highest point in the world in 2016 on what was her second attempt to scale the mighty Himalayan mountain.

Much like the Red Roses Rugby World Cup Final defeat to the Black Ferns in 2022, Bradshaw's discussion likely spoke about going again after falling at the final hurdle. The speech was well received by the players and coaches, and has continued to motivate them for next year's home soil Rugby World Cup.

MARLIE PACKER: "She was fantastic. Really, really, good. She did on her second attempt."

JOHN MITCHELL: "I think you know, Marlie's and my personalities probably pretty well by now. But we would probably try and climb it in the same day wouldn't we!"

MARLIE PACKER: "Yeah, with just a bottle of water and a pair of walking boots."

JOHN MITCHELL: "Yeah, I don't think we'd be sitting here right now!"

"We try and theme it around our values, and we try and theme it around, the fact is that we our purposes are towards 2025."

ZOE ALDCROFT: "I think it comes from, like I said before, like the bonds in the team. I think you do it for your teammates, you do it to make your family proud, yourself proud, your family proud, and also just the realisation that you can push yourself so much more than than your mind thinks.

"I think when you do have those big games on the horizon, it's easy to flick that switch and be up for those big games. I think it's just as important that you flick the switch for the little games as well because they're all little peaks in reaching those Everest peaks.

"I think it's important that you consistent throughout those tournaments, the six nations. Every single game is part of reaching those big peaks and putting out the performances, week in week out to be able to when we do get to the big games, really perform and reach the top of Everest."