England’s heartbreaking defeat in the 2022 World Cup final will have no bearing on how they prepare for next week’s showdown with Canada, full-back Ellie Kildunne has said.
The Red Roses fell agonisingly short against New Zealand three years ago, losing winger Lydia Thompson to a red card after 17 minutes and lock Zoe Aldcroft to a head injury after 27 minutes in the chaotic 34-31 defeat at Eden Park.
Three years on, England, who are on a 32-match winning run dating back to the last final, are red-hot favourites to win their third title at Twickenham having largely blitzed their way through the tournament.
Kildunne, who starred with two tries in a player of the match performance in the semifinal win over France on Saturday, played in the 2022 final but said it will have no impact on the team this week.
“Not all. It’s a different tournament. We’re a different team,” Kildunne said. “We’re obviously against a different opposition now and at the end of the day it’s a World Cup final. You don’t prepare for a World Cup final in the last week; you prepare for it for the past three years.
“Everyone wants to be in that spot and now we’re there. So, everything that we’ve done, every lesson that we’ve learned has led us to this point and we’ve just got to back ourselves.
“We’ve got to trust the process that we’ve been on. Just trust that when that whistle goes, whatever’s going to happen is going to happen.”
Twickenham will be a sellout for the clash, with the Red Roses looking to capitalise on the momentum they’ve built in recent years and finish the job by lifting the trophy.
“It’s something that we’ve been wanting for many years, so there’s nothing to be scared of. I want the crowd to be there,” Kildunne said.
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“It’s amazing that we’ve got the opportunity to inspire so many people, whether it’s the first time that you’re watching a rugby game or whether it’s your 100th time.
“Being at a sold-out Twickenham is something that we should be proud of as a union, but as rugby and women’s rugby players, it’s something we should be proud of and it’s going to keep on going that way.
“So, nothing to be nervous about. We love the crowd, we love the show and yeah, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”