At just 22 years old Abby Dow is fast becoming one ofthe mainstays of Simon Middleton’s England teams. Throughout the autumn she lockeddown her place with a series of impressive displays and will once again wearthe rose as the team face off against France this Sunday. In that time she hasheld out established and even centrally contracted players.
I speak to Dow, fresh from a training session in France aheadof the weekend and she’s clear that last year’s impressive team performancesare still just a work in progress. “We need to maintain what we did last yearand improve on the things we didn’t quite nail. It’s a cycle toward the worldcup so each year we need to steadily progress; get a little bit sharper, alittle bit stronger. We’re working through that and hopefully it’ll show in2020!”
That 2019 included a series of impressive victories over apowerful France team that shouldn’t be taken for granted in this years tournament.“They have an incredible pool of players to choose from. They’ve got the skillsets and the strength to really challenge us.” Abby tells me, she’s clear theFrench will once again prove the stick for the Red Roses to measure themselvesagainst. “We’ve got to expect their joue nature. They want to play thatball and we need to shut it down. We have to be dominant for the full 80 minutes.”
While the team may be focused on the road ahead Dow’sperformances throughout the autumn are worth dwelling on. She was a dominantforce in the white shirt in both games against France and was among the tryscorers in the game against Italy at Goldington Road. “I’m just working on eachgame, focusing on that one” she says, “Just making sure that I perform the bestI can, so I’m up for selection. Trying to be the best I can in such acompetitive position.”
“I’ve played the sport my whole life and I love it! I thinkI started just before I turned 5, playing the minis and I’ve played ever since”Abby tells me when I comment that for someone so young she seems to have an incrediblymature approach to the sport. Her two-way game, equally strong in defence andattack, is normally a hallmark of a veteran outside back. “Maybe it’s just theamount of time I’ve spent in the game. Of course it helps when you have Scaz onyour inside and McKenna on your outside (Emily Scarratt and Sarah McKenna)giving you the support to make decisions to have an impact on the game. I thinkit’s a mixture of all that.”
It’s clear from the voice that Dow has huge respect for thesenior players in the camp and with those she has played alongside at clublevel, not least Red Roses legend Nolli Waterman. “When I was able to play withher, both in club and at internationals, it gave me such a massive growth thatI wouldn’t have achieved by myself!”
Her defensive play has lead to Abby regularly swap the wingfor full back in appearances for Wasps Ladies in the Premier 15sthis season. “They’re closely linked positions so its good to understand whatgoes on as a full back. You really have an appreciation for what wingers aretrying to achieve. Giselle (Mather, Wasps Director of Rugby) giving me theopportunity to develop as a back three player rather than just a winger, to bemore versatile”.
Wasps currently lie just outside the playoff spots in fifth,three points astray of Gloucester-Hartpury and are set on climbing up the ranks.“Playoffs is the first goal. We’re a team that bounces back from any loss and we’reone of the most determined groups out there! We as Wasps are just going outthere, hoping we can play the rugby we want to play and absolutely smashing thecompetition!”
Dow is certainly one of the players who will be key to theirpush for those play off places. Currently second in the try scoring charts(behind the prolific Rhona Lloyd) and sixth in overall scoring, she’s certainlyplaying her part. Somehow she still finds time to study mechanical engineering.I’m fascinated to understand how she manages to give everything the time itneeds. “I think it’s just time management and understanding from both sides. Ihave a lot of support from the university. The scholarship and my tutors reallyhelp me, but it’s also the understanding of the RFU. I work a lot with Scott,the back coach, controlling my time so I’m never too stressed. I take it uponmyself not to procrastinate and to manage my time as best I can.”
It’s an impressive feat and another of the many reasons Abby Dow continues to impress on and off the pitch!
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