By James Reid
Abby Dow believes one of the keys to success at next year’s Rugby World Cup lies in the Red Roses feeling at home at the newly-named Allianz Stadium.
Dow will line up alongside her England team-mates for the visit of New Zealand next month, only the fourth time the two sides will have met at the iconic stadium in Twickenham.
It is the third time in two years that the Red Roses will take to the famous turf in standalone women’s fixtures, and they will hope to be back again for next year’s Rugby World Cup final.
Dow hopes familiarity will breed success should they earn the right to contest next year’s showpiece on home soil.
Feeling Comfortable
She said: “The importance of us being able to feel comfortable in this stadium is going to be so important when the big things matter, when we are playing top teams, when we are playing in front of crowds where you can’t even hear yourselves think.
“Those things we can learn from these games that are coming are going to be critical to performing on the world stage again.
“All of us playing in the Premiership, we can appreciate the importance of a home crowd, knowing where your space is in the changing room and how things are laid out.
“Those simple things make the day less overwhelming and when you are less overwhelmed, you are calmer and when you are comfortable, you feel comfortable to perform.
“The game is really important but we always talk about things in cycles. It’s not necessarily a game where the importance is winning, but it’s the importance of winning the next year after it.
“In a World Cup, you have got to be on it, you can’t be learning, you can’t be developing yourself.
“This is the opportunity that we are going to see how well we can play together in those critical situations and how we can learn from them. It’s a really exciting opportunity.”
Warming Up
The New Zealand fixture is one half of an enticing pair of warm-up matches before the Red Roses defend their WXV title in Canada in October.
France were the visitors at Kingsholm on 7 September before the Black Ferns arrive in the capital for their showdown at Allianz Stadium on 14 September.
Dow will play a key role in the Red Roses’ success over the next year, having cemented herself as one of the most dangerous wingers in the world and a key part of the England team over the past few years.
She has formed an exciting back three unit alongside Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach but revealed there is no resting on any laurels as competition for places continues to drive standards ahead of a decisive 12 months.
“Right now the only capped back three would be Jess, Ellie and me but we have got loads of young girls that are uncapped but have so much experience in their own way,” she added.
Pushing Each Other
“Their youth and their new ways of thinking really push us and draw us all together as a group as one.
“I think it’s so important that the girls who have come through have really jumped in two-feet first and are landing running. We are growing as a unit, not just as a three who are experienced but as a six, and as one.
“We tend to have a good really healthy relationship as a whole squad when it comes to competition.
“There’s an understanding that yes you can be frustrated when someone is playing better than you but it can flip your emotions into drive and go ‘well I will be better myself’.
“You can quickly belittle someone in a competitive environment but actually what we do is turn to ourselves and lead ourselves.
“One of our main values is to lead ourselves and lead each other through it.
“We are continuously competitive with each other and what we are doing is hopefully growing as a whole unit so the standard is always there, it is always competitive.”
Allianz recently pledged a long-term commitment to rugby through a multi-year partnership with the Rugby Football Union. See the Red Roses take on the Black Ferns at the newly named Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on the 14 September. Head to //EnglandRugby.com/Tickets to secure your tickets!
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