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The Breakdown | Mitchell’s Six Nations conundrum: who will be Red Roses’ next Abby Dow?

about 8 hours ago
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How do you solve a problem like replacing Abby Dow? Yes, it is a different take on the Sound of Music song but it is a fiendish question to answer.The Red Roses winger retired after the Rugby World Cup, leaving a try-scoring hole in the world champions’ squad, whose next task is to try to win their eighth straight Women’s Six Nations title.And so while Julie Andrews’ character realised she was not a problem after all, the England head coach, John Mitchell, is left with a selection headache before his team start their campaign against Ireland on Saturday.Dow scored 50 tries in 59 caps, with her lightning pace a key characteristic to her game.She retired to pursue a career in engineering and her boots are large ones to fill.

The issue, though, is not that there are no contenders to take on the jersey, it is more of who the Red Roses will select,Mitchell said: “Abby was world class,She was an outstanding rugby player and now she has made a really good career choice,Now we’ve got Claudia [Moloney-MacDonald], we’ve got Jess [Breach] who is also fantastic in the air,Then you have got the raw pace of Millie David, you’ve got the gas and swerve of Bo Westcombe-Evans and you’ve got Mia Venner, who is extremely good in her evasion and small-space rugby.

They all bring different strengths in many ways.So it is up to me to get that balance right in the back three.”As Mitchell lists, there are many options at his disposal.Breach has been a starting winger under Mitchell since he took the helm in 2023 and so is likely to retain her shirt.On the opposite wing, Moloney-MacDonald is a strong favourite as she was a part of the World Cup-winning squad.

She has 21 tries in 36 caps and is renowned for her pace but is also physical in tackles and at the breakdown.One of the seven uncapped players in the 38-player Six Nations squad is David, whose nickname Millie Whizz should tell supporters all they need to know about how fast she is.The Bristol Bears player, who is also qualified to play for Australia, won breakthrough player of the season in Premiership Women’s Rugby’s last campaign, finishing as the league’s top try-scorer.This season, although Bristol are eighth, David is still crossing the whitewash regularly, with nine tries making her the fifth-top try-scorer so far this season.Two of the other wingers above David in the league scoring charts are also available to Mitchell, the first being Venner.

The Gloucester-Hartpury wing, who has two international caps, is the second-highest try-scorer with 11 to her name, which has helped steer her club to the top of the table.Venner has been on Mitchell’s radar for some time and just missed out on the World Cup squad last year.Loughborough Lightning’s Westcombe-Evans, who missed a lot of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, is fourth in the PWR charts with 10 tries and will be looking to add to her two England caps this campaign.The 23-year-old, who returned to the pitch in September, had made an impressive start to her Red Roses career with a try on her debut in September 2024 but then her World Cup hopes were dashed by the long-term knee injury.One option Mitchell did not list but could turn to is moving the star full-back Ellie Kildunne to the wing, with either Emma Sing or Helena Rowland capable of starting at 15.

England have an embarrassment of riches and any of the choices to replace Dow are capable of reaching the try-scoring heights their predecessor recorded.Having such depth is good but it is crucial Mitchell selects the right player to ensure the tries continue.The absence of Dow is not the only squad change since the World Cup win.There was another high-profile retirement in Emily Scarratt but the 119-capped centre’s leadership and expertise have not been lost as she is now part of the coaching staff as lead attack and backs coach.There are then three experienced players who will not be able to be called on because of pregnancy.

Zoe Stratford – the captain, Abbie Ward and Lark Atkin-Davies have all announced they are expecting and the team will be down a combined 224 caps.The centre Tatyana Heard has been ruled out through injury.However, such is the Red Roses’ experience that the Six Nations squad still has an average of 29 caps per player.As well as some changes to the squad, a new captain has been appointed.With Stratford on the sidelines, Meg Jones has been promoted from vice-captain and will have Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews as her deputies across the tournament.

Jones, who was nominated for World Rugby’s player of the year award in 2025, said there is continuity for the team in the decision.“I am immensely proud to be taking the armband,” she said.“I have worked with Zoe and all of the leadership girls before anyway so nothing really changes, it’s just a different face I guess.We have a huge group of leaders and a group that lead themselves extremely well.It’s about making sure everyone is on the same vision and we are going towards the same goal.

”So there are new faces, a new captain and a winger’s boots to fill.However, despite all of the chopping and changing England are still favourites to make the pitches come alive with the sound of the Red Roses winning matches.This is an extract from our weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown.To subscribe just visit this page and follow the instructions.
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Burro, WC2: ‘Big but the opposite of brash – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

Brings old-school charm to a touristy part of townBurro, a new Italian restaurant in Covent Garden, London, had been on my horizons even before the napkins were on order, because Conor Gadd, the chef-owner, has form. His first restaurant Trullo, up in Islington, has sat unshakably around the top of my recommendations list for about 15 years and is namechecked by me at least twice weekly when complete strangers want a tip for a birthday, proposal or a client they need to impress. Or simply, “somewhere to take a foodie” who “really likes food”. Yes, the brief given to restaurant critics is often that vague, but to all these things I say: “Have you been to Trullo? Order the beef shin ragu and some good red wine. It’s been there for ages and they know what they’re doing

3 days ago
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Sunday best: Thomasina Miers’ recipes for aromatic chicken one-pot and salted caramel banana cake

I love Mexican chillies for the subtle flavour they give to cooking. Take the ancho, with its sweet, earthy notes of chocolate and plum. That adds immense depth to dishes traditional and avant garde alike, and is now readily available online and in shops. In today’s one-pot, which is a near-perfect way to cook a whole chicken, the ancho adds character to a classic sofrito, while in the pudding the savoury notes and touch of heat complement the dark caramel, helping to create a banana cake that is anything but bland. If you can’t find ancho, try any other medium-heat chilli flake in its place (nora, aleppo), or simply leave it out

3 days ago
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Oats, sardines and crisps: emergency foods to stockpile – and why you should share them

People should have an emergency stockpile of food in their homes in case conflicts, extreme weather or cyber-attacks shut down supplies, leading UK experts have told the Guardian.In an ever more turbulent world, they say it is essential to choose long-life items that can be eaten without cooking – think tinned beans, vegetables and fish, rice crackers, and oats that can be soaked. But it is also important to choose items you actually like to eat, and some treats such as chocolate or crisps to keep your spirits up. You will also need water – lots of it – not just to drink but for washing too.Perhaps the most surprising advice is to be prepared to share your stockpile with neighbours

3 days ago
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Reese’s chocolate heir accuses Hershey of altering recipes: ‘It wasn’t real peanut butter’

The grandson of HB Reese, the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, has accused the chocolate giant Hershey of faking a pledge to investors to switch back the recipes of its popular products – including KitKat – to the original milk and dark chocolate ones.A confectionery-focused dust-up between Brad Reese and the $42bn Pennsylvania-based company began in February when Reese, 70, accused the company of “quietly replacing” the ingredients – or “architecture” – in his grandfather’s invention with cheaper “compound coatings” and “peanut-butter-style crèmes”.At a recent Hershey investor conference, the company said it would change about 3% of select products to the original recipes but maintained it had never altered the renowned Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.The company’s chief growth officer, Stacy Taffet, said Hershey was “transitioning our sweets portfolio to colors from natural sources, and ensuring that all Hershey’s and Reese’s offerings are consistent with their brand’s classic milk and dark chocolate recipes”. The changes are planned to come into effect by next year

4 days ago
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Put away the Aperol and raise a glass to Hugo spritz, the drink of the summer

Pub gardens and bar terraces have been awash with a sea of orange in recent years as Italy’s love of Aperol spritz spread to the UK. But this year the cocktail’s cousin, a Hugo spritz, will be the drink of the summer, according to supermarkets and bars.It is already being served across the country, including at Sea Containers on the banks of the Thames and Mayfair’s swanky Claridge’s hotel in London, 20 Stories bar in Manchester and the Bridge Tavern in Newcastle. Wetherspoons has the cocktail on its menu nationwide.“In the past year, we have noted that there has been a wider shift among our guests towards drinks with lower alcohol percentages, particularly during the day – a Hugo spritz fits rather neatly into this space,” said George Raju, director of bars at Claridge’s

4 days ago
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Helen Goh’s recipe for ricotta, rum and raisin cake | The sweet spot

This is a cake for the long, ambling tail-end of an Easter lunch. It’s gently scented with orange and vanilla, lightened by ricotta, and studded with rum-soaked raisins that bring bursts of sweetness to each slice. Ideally, they’d be soaked overnight to plump them into something luscious, but if time gets away from you, take a shortcut: put the raisins and rum in a microwave-safe bowl, zap for 20–30 seconds, then leave to cool and absorb. The chocolate glaze is optional; on days when you want something simpler (or lighter), a generous sifting of icing sugar is all this cake needs. Serve with a small glass of grappa or something similarly warming for a quietly perfect way to bring a feast to a close

5 days ago
politicsSee all
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‘Seismic change’: how election wins for nationalists in Celtic nations could reshape UK

about 13 hours ago
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Labour should hold a referendum on whether Britain should rejoin the EU | Letter

1 day ago
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Starmer attacks Greens, saying vote for Labour rivals puts new workers’ rights at risk

2 days ago
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Unions privately voice misgivings over BMA pay demands and doctors’ strikes

3 days ago
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Sadiq Khan protection officers ‘leave bag with guns and Taser on south London street’

4 days ago
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Relationship with Trump may be beyond repair, Keir Starmer told

4 days ago