Following their World Cup triumph, John Mitchell's England successfully backed up the massive home final by drawing 77,120 fans for their Women's Six Nations opener against Ireland at Allianz Stadium. Full-back Ellie Kildunne declared that selling out massive venues must now become routine, moving past the one-off nature of the World Cup final. This showing broke the previous record for a standalone Six Nations match.

That record was previously held by the 58,498 attendance for the 2023 Grand Slam decider, illustrating the rapid acceleration of support for the Red Roses. While the team were far from flawless, securing a five-try win extended their winning streak to 34 matches. Hooker Amy Cokayne is the sole player remaining from a 2014 fixture against Ireland at the same ground that drew just 2,500 spectators.

Injuries forced further adaptation, with Mitchell losing lock Morwenna Talling and scrum-half Natasha Hunt likely for the tournament, prompting the introduction of 19-year-old debutant Haineala Lutui. Despite initial cohesion issues from eight changes to the World Cup starting XV, replacement captain Megan Jones earned player of the match for her defensive work. The team secured the victory, extending their Six Nations winning run to seven years without a loss.

Mitchell acknowledged the learning curve inherent in exposing younger players and testing new combinations in the number 9 and 10 roles. The squad now prepares to face Scotland next Saturday at Murrayfield, aiming to smooth out the performance kinks observed in the opening fixture.