Ellie Kildunne’s touch at this year’s Women’s Six Nations turns things to gold. The English full-back is not only the top scorer of the tournament with four hits, but he is also at the top of the rankings for the most points scored and the most yards carried and gained. The Harlequins player, who will try to improve her statistics on Saturday against Scotland, is undoubtedly in great shape, but she also owes it to England’s expansive action for giving her the platform.

England’s action has adapted under new head coach John Mitchell and actioning coach Lou Meadows. In previous tournaments, Fans have seen the red roses often call out their deadly floating mouth, with the backs not having as much time on the ball. However, England have now unleashed both their back team and their forwards and Maul, making their action less predictable.

England and Bristol prop Sarah Bern, who is currently health issue, says it is clear that the red roses are trying to play a little differently: “they are trying to play and find the space and get it there as best they can, which makes it really difficult for the defense. They [The Opposition] can’t just drop two in the backfield because England will run it. You can’t put everyone on the front line like England would. So it’s more of an elusive way to play.”

Berne can also see how the action puts Kildunne on the front foot: “Our entire back team, even our outside centers, get to the ball a lot more. You will see more of them in more plays because the defense has to score [fly half] Holly Aitchison, [midfielder] Tatyana heard. You have to score the kicks of [half of the scrum] Natasha Hunt and Holly. Space is here, so when we bring the ball to people like Ellie who thrive in space …

“She’s going to have a hell of a tournament, she’s ready. But I think it’s because of the way England want to play, the players in the middle who control that and the brilliance of the pack who bring the ball to them.”

Kildunne’s opponent is the Scottish full-back Chloe Rollie, who explained how her team plans to stop Kildunne. “I think we need to knock him out further down the line to stop him getting his hands on the ball,” Rollie says. “We [also] have to be smart when and where we are going to hit it.”

Bryan Easson’s team has shown impressive defensive changes in their games so far. Scotland’s players are leading the way in spread interceptions, clean-ups and lineout interceptions in the tournament. But when Kildunne gets the ball, Rollie is not afraid of the pressure she poses. “She’s just another player,” Rollie adds. “When she gets the ball, you take care of her. Put them under pressure, put everyone under pressure. If we stick to the game plan we want to play, we don’t have to worry.”