'Fitting reward' of title won't make England lose focus, insists Simon Middleton

England may have won the women’s Six Nations with a game to spare but their focus will not drop as they chase the Grand Slam, according to coach Simon Middleton.

The title headed back to Twickenham on Sunday afternoon without Middleton’s squad having to do a thing; Scotland’s 13-13 draw with France means they cannot be caught.

But with business to take care of against Italy next week, the coach does not want to start the celebrations just yet.

“We are delighted to have retained the title after four big performances from the team to date,” he told the RFU’s official website.

“It’s a fitting reward for all the hard work put in earlier this year.

“We have a big week ahead and the aim is to stay focused on securing the Grand Slam in Italy next weekend.”

England won their four games prior to the coronavirus break, with their sensational 19-13 win over France in Paris the key to their title charge.

Middleton will name his squad for the Italy game at the start of next week, with a second successive Grand Slam and a third in four years on the line.