The Albany Gazette - Scarratt shakes horror injury to fire England's World Cup bid

Yet the 32-year-old centre bounced back to score 10 points in England's opening romp past Fiji last weekend and the Red Roses' next challenge will be France in Whangarei on Saturday.

England's main goal-kicker needed surgery after the horror injury while playing for her club Loughborough Lightning in September 2021.

"You take for granted you will be out for a period of time but some people don't come back at all from things like that," she told AFP.

In the moments immediately after the painful injury, her participation in the Rugby World Cup, which kicked off last weekend, seemed in doubt.

"I tried not to think about it until I spoke to people who would know the answers to my questions," she admits.

Months of physio and rehab work followed in the gym before Scarratt returned to help England retain the women's Six Nations title in April, finishing as the tournament's top-scorer with 39 points.

Her ankle, she said, had "recovered really well. So far, so good."

The same could be said for England's World Cup hopes with Scarratt back to her best.

They ran riot in an 84-19 hammering of Fiji in their opening match in Auckland last weekend when Scarratt landed five conversions.

England are on a 26-match winning streak -- a record in international rugby for men or women.

Next up are France, who gave England their closest game in this year's Six Nations and are World Cup dark horses after a 40-5 win over South Africa.

"They are an incredibly talented bunch of players. We aren't taking anything for granted," said Scarratt, voted world player of the year in 2019.

"They, like us, will have huge aspirations. It's a big game for both teams in the context of the whole tournament."

- High standards -

England head coach Simon Middleton has said it will be a failure if they do not win the Rugby World Cup final in Auckland on November 12.

Scarratt says the team can handle the burden of being favourites.

"We put a huge amount of pressure on ourselves, from wanting to be better at everything we do, whether in games or training, individually or collectively.

"When you set yourselves super high standards, we want to win the World Cup, but there will be other teams with the same aspiration.

"You don't just waltz in and steal the cup. Everyone is fighting for it."

She is already a World Cup winner having touched down, then converted the winning try late in the 2014 final against Canada.

Like England captain and Number Eight Sarah Hunter, Scarratt is playing at her fourth Rugby World Cup and has 104 international caps.

She is part of a core with huge experience in the England side.

"This group has got some real experience in tight contests when we don't have it all our own way," said Scarratt.

"It's important, because there is no doubt we will have some tough matches in this tournament."

England comfortably beat New Zealand twice, 43-12 then 56-15, on the Black Ferns' tour of Europe late last year.

But Scarratt insists hosts New Zealand, coached by former All Black Wayne Smith, remain the team to beat at the World Cup having dispatched Australia 41-17 in their opening game.

"They are a completely different team at home. That would have really hurt them in the autumn," she said.

"They have been going really well and have unbelievably talented players in their side."

(L.Kaufmann--BBZ)