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"I haven't even scratched the surface of my potential."
Those were the words of England full-back Ellie Kildunne in November when she was named World Rugby's women's player of the year.
The 25-year-old scored 14 tries in nine tests for the Red Roses last term, and it looked, on the outside, as though maintaining form before a home Rugby World Cup - which starts in August - was all she needed to do.
But Kildunne strived to become even better.
After featuring late off the bench against Italy in York, a first start in this year's Women's Six Nations came in the 67-12 hammering of Wales at Principality Stadium.
The Harlequin marked her 50th cap with a second-half hat-trick and a player-of-the-match performance to properly kick-start the biggest year of her rugby career to date.
"Pressure is definitely a privilege," Kildunne told BBC Two.
"Our potential is the unimaginable. We are going to keep getting better. I really think we are going to take it to levels that we've not been to before.
"We are just going to keep pushing until we get to a point that we just can't imagine what is next."
Two of Kildunne's tries were relatively straightforward dot downs, with the third an instinctive finish from a kick-through.
When the whistle sounded for the start of the second half, Kildunne had no tries. By the 56th minute, her hand was above her head for yet another signature lasso celebration after a third score.
Kildunne made the most carries (16) and metres (145m) in the game, but it was her kicking game which stood out.
From tidy deft chip-kicks to cause havoc in the backfield to grubber-kicks to turn the Wales defence, Kildunne has widened her game to be more than just a lethal counter-attack runner.
"She is starting to serve the team in different ways and there are going to be times that teams take away the counter-attack from her," England head coach John Mitchell told BBC Two.
"She is world-class with that plan A [running it back], but she is going to have to adapt in 2025 as certain teams will not allow her to get ball.
"We have to use her in the right way."
Kildunne made her England debut in 2018 as an 18-year-old [Getty Images]
Kildunne was one of 13 changes Mitchell made to his starting XV from England's opening round victory over Italy, with the majority of his front-line starters returning.
Like last weekend, the Red Roses ran away with the contest, scoring their bonus-point try inside 27 minutes.
Number eight Maddie Feaunati was named player of the match in York and further pressed her case to continue in the back row with two powerful finishes.
Wales-born Meg Jones scored the pick of England's 11 tries when she slalomed her way through her native country, showing incredible balance and footwork.
Jones, who was playing her first Red Roses match since both her parents passed away, pointed to the sky and tapped her chest before diving over the line.
"I haven't played here since I was 12 years old," Jones, 28, told BBC Two.
"When I heard both the anthems it took me a little bit. I have just tried to enjoy it as much as I can, I know they will both be so proud of me.
"I said in the week that they will still be in the crowd. Well, my dad may have gone home [after full-time] as he hates the crowd chaos."
Fly-half Zoe Harrison, after an early dropped ball on her own tryline, showcased exactly why Mitchell picked her over Holly Aitchison and Helena Rowland, given her strong kicking game on a wide Principality pitch
Saracens' Harrison helped set up two Abby Dow tries - one from a pin-point cross-field kick - and slotted six conversions, hitting the post twice on two misses from out wide.
Olympian Abi Burton, who spent 25 days in an induced coma in 2022 before having to learn to walk and talk again, capped off the game with two tries on debut.
The 25-year-old packed down at number eight to add another option to Mitchell, who still has regular Alex Matthews to come back at the base of the scrum from suspension.
"When we stood here for the team run I was just relishing it," Burton told BBC Two.
"It is unbelievable to make my debut here and a dream come true."
When Burton came out of her coma she had lost more than three stone (19kg), but she miraculously returned to rugby sevens in time for her second Olympics in Paris, before impressing on her return to XVs with Trailfinders Women.
"To just be back living is amazing, never mind going to the Olympics and fighting her way back into that competitive back row," 2014 England World Cup-winner Katy Daley-McLean added.
The fallow week offers Mitchell a chance to reflect on his two squads for the opening two games, before the Red Roses travel to Cork to face Ireland on 12 April.
He remains on track to achieve his ultimate goal of two strong squads by the World Cup, with a seventh Six Nations title likely to sit alongside it.
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Those were the words of England full-back Ellie Kildunne in November when she was named World Rugby's women's player of the year.
The 25-year-old scored 14 tries in nine tests for the Red Roses last term, and it looked, on the outside, as though maintaining form before a home Rugby World Cup - which starts in August - was all she needed to do.
But Kildunne strived to become even better.
After featuring late off the bench against Italy in York, a first start in this year's Women's Six Nations came in the 67-12 hammering of Wales at Principality Stadium.
The Harlequin marked her 50th cap with a second-half hat-trick and a player-of-the-match performance to properly kick-start the biggest year of her rugby career to date.
"Pressure is definitely a privilege," Kildunne told BBC Two.
"Our potential is the unimaginable. We are going to keep getting better. I really think we are going to take it to levels that we've not been to before.
"We are just going to keep pushing until we get to a point that we just can't imagine what is next."
Two of Kildunne's tries were relatively straightforward dot downs, with the third an instinctive finish from a kick-through.
When the whistle sounded for the start of the second half, Kildunne had no tries. By the 56th minute, her hand was above her head for yet another signature lasso celebration after a third score.
Kildunne made the most carries (16) and metres (145m) in the game, but it was her kicking game which stood out.
From tidy deft chip-kicks to cause havoc in the backfield to grubber-kicks to turn the Wales defence, Kildunne has widened her game to be more than just a lethal counter-attack runner.
"She is starting to serve the team in different ways and there are going to be times that teams take away the counter-attack from her," England head coach John Mitchell told BBC Two.
"She is world-class with that plan A [running it back], but she is going to have to adapt in 2025 as certain teams will not allow her to get ball.
"We have to use her in the right way."
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Kildunne made her England debut in 2018 as an 18-year-old [Getty Images]
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Dream day for Jones & Burton
Kildunne was one of 13 changes Mitchell made to his starting XV from England's opening round victory over Italy, with the majority of his front-line starters returning.
Like last weekend, the Red Roses ran away with the contest, scoring their bonus-point try inside 27 minutes.
Number eight Maddie Feaunati was named player of the match in York and further pressed her case to continue in the back row with two powerful finishes.
Wales-born Meg Jones scored the pick of England's 11 tries when she slalomed her way through her native country, showing incredible balance and footwork.
Jones, who was playing her first Red Roses match since both her parents passed away, pointed to the sky and tapped her chest before diving over the line.
"I haven't played here since I was 12 years old," Jones, 28, told BBC Two.
"When I heard both the anthems it took me a little bit. I have just tried to enjoy it as much as I can, I know they will both be so proud of me.
"I said in the week that they will still be in the crowd. Well, my dad may have gone home [after full-time] as he hates the crowd chaos."
Fly-half Zoe Harrison, after an early dropped ball on her own tryline, showcased exactly why Mitchell picked her over Holly Aitchison and Helena Rowland, given her strong kicking game on a wide Principality pitch
Saracens' Harrison helped set up two Abby Dow tries - one from a pin-point cross-field kick - and slotted six conversions, hitting the post twice on two misses from out wide.
Olympian Abi Burton, who spent 25 days in an induced coma in 2022 before having to learn to walk and talk again, capped off the game with two tries on debut.
The 25-year-old packed down at number eight to add another option to Mitchell, who still has regular Alex Matthews to come back at the base of the scrum from suspension.
"When we stood here for the team run I was just relishing it," Burton told BBC Two.
"It is unbelievable to make my debut here and a dream come true."
When Burton came out of her coma she had lost more than three stone (19kg), but she miraculously returned to rugby sevens in time for her second Olympics in Paris, before impressing on her return to XVs with Trailfinders Women.
"To just be back living is amazing, never mind going to the Olympics and fighting her way back into that competitive back row," 2014 England World Cup-winner Katy Daley-McLean added.
The fallow week offers Mitchell a chance to reflect on his two squads for the opening two games, before the Red Roses travel to Cork to face Ireland on 12 April.
He remains on track to achieve his ultimate goal of two strong squads by the World Cup, with a seventh Six Nations title likely to sit alongside it.
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Continue reading...
