His experiences in men’s World Cups helped him understand the psychological pressures of major tournaments, too. He was part of Eddie Jones’s set-up when England’s men beat the All Blacks in the 2019 semi-final but then lost to South Africa in the final and spoke ahead of the women’s showpiece about the importance of refilling the “emotional tank” as well as the physical one. He added: “I think I’ve spent more time in this job as a psychologist than a rugby coach and it’s something I enjoy.”
Part of his philosophy is to encourage players to be present in the moment, with the phrase “be where your feet are” acting as a regular reminder.
Depth chart
England’s starting front row call themselves “BAM!” It comes from their names Hannah Botterman, or “Botts” to her friends, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir, but is also representative of their physicality and energy, which was so evident in the final. The acronym does not work for the front-row replacements, Kelsey Clifford, Lark Atkin-Davies and Sarah Bern, but they too deliver on the connotations of it.
This is just one example of the depth Mitchell and his coaches have at their disposal. Unlike in previous World Cup campaigns, when relatively inexperienced players have been thrown into finals because of injuries, the entire squad has been given opportunities over the past few years to ensure they are ready when called upon. That has led to a lack of cohesion at times with a dozen or so changes between Tests, but it has meant everyone is adequately prepared and those players coming off the bench influenced matches throughout this World Cup.
Emily Scarratt has also been able to exert her influence, albeit in a different way to previous tournaments. She is the first England player, male or female, to play in five World Cups but since a replacement appearance in the opening match of RWC 2025, she has been the team’s “water girl”. Niggles prevented her from staking more of a claim for a place in the match-day 23 but she has embraced her new role.
[SRC] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2025/09/28/inside-story-england-women-rugby-world-cup-win/
