England beat USA at Rugby World Cup: ‘Selfless’ Ellie Kildunne and ‘unsung’ Hannah Botterman star

Kildunne, who was named player of the match, maintained her selfless attitude in her post-match interview, deflecting attention from her own performance to instead praise the team effort which underpinned England’s dominant victory.

“It’s a team sport. We wouldn’t have the space on the edges if it wasn’t for the play through the middle,” she said.

“It’s a full team effort. You can’t win a game of rugby with one person. Individuals don’t win World Cups.”

On England’s back three, she added: “We’ve played together a long time. With the depth we’ve got with Emma Sing and Claudia [Moloney-MacDonald] as well, we’re a tight unit. We know how each other play, we know the speeds of each other. When someone’s running down the wing, it’s about supporting them and being that touch if you need.”

But while England’s backs dominated the headlines, Mather, Thomas, and Rugby Union Weekly host Sara Orchard were unanimous in naming Botterman their player of the match.

The prop, who bulldozed over for a first-half try of her own, earned praise for her unsung and less glamorous defensive efforts, with Orchard calling it a “statement performance”.

Thomas, meanwhile, hailed the 26-year-old as England’s player to watch against tougher opposition.

“She’s developed an uncanny ability to turn over balls under huge pressure when her heels are on her own tryline,” she said.

“The number of times in the Six Nations it would be Hannah rising with the ball when the Red Roses’ backs were against the wall and once this tournament gets tough, once they’re up against Canada, the Black Ferns, France, it’s going to be Hannah Botterman pilfering those balls that gets England out of a lot of hot water.”