It has been a difficult week for Poppy Cleall. The 65-cap England forward found out she had not been given a golden Red Roses contract.
Cleall has been a staple of the international team for a number of years but England’s loss could well be Saracens’ gain.
She will be keen to channel her frustration into her club’s Premiership Women’s Rugby semi-final against Bristol Bears in north London on Sunday.
Odd Saracens season
It has been an odd season, with the club game still getting used to making room for international fixtures. And with the top four – Saracens, Bristol Bears, Gloucester-Hartpury and Exeter Chiefs – guaranteed their spots in the play-offs way before last weekend’s final round of regular fixtures, it’s been about guaranteeing a home semi. Saracens and table toppers Gloucester have done that.
“This season has had long breaks, it has felt long for us,” Cleall told City A.M. on Stone X’s trading floor of the London Metal Exchange.
“Obviously, a lot of us have been away internationally so it has been nice to be back out there with the team. And our focus is solely on winning the Premiership rather than having eyes on two different camps.
“We’re back in it and we’re trying to get back into the final because we missed out in the semis last year. So it’s an exciting end to the season.
“I think you can make a case for any of the top four teams to be in that final, it’s going to be so close. In years before you’ve had favourites and you could call semis. I think both of these semis are going to be tricky.”
Last season’s final broke a trend; it was the first without either Harlequins or Saracens in it and saw Gloucester-Hartpury beating Exeter Chiefs for their first title.
Last time out
Testament to the Red Roses
This year the Chiefs will host the final but Gloucester remain favourites to lift the title. That means there’s room in the other semi-final for Saracens to return to the showpiece or for Bristol Bears to be there for the first time.
And the confidence the league has to expand deep into the West Country knowing that the host club may not be there is testament to the growth of the women’s game.
Later this year it is hoped Twickenham will be sold out for England’s fixture against the Black Ferns of New Zealand – who beat them in the last two Rugby World Cup finals.
“I always said last year that I thought that sell-out would come out this year,” Cleall adds. “But I did not know that game would be there.
“I think that the New Zealand game could be very, very close to having a sell-out and we are talking about for the first time ever because it’s a World Cup final repeat but at home. It can’t really get much better than that for us players and for the fans.”
Cleall will hope she can find a way back into the international game, and the next fortnight will be one almighty audition for the bruising ball carrier.