VIDEO: England take on Take That after winning Women"s Rugby World Cup

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MARLIE Packer’s international exile now seems a distant memory for the powerhouse flanker as she allows the glory of winning the Women’s Rugby World Cup to settle in.

The powerhouse flanker emerged as one of England’s most impressive players in their charge to becoming World Champions, scoring two tries on her debut before notching another pair in the semi-final against Ireland.

The former Buckler’s Mead Academy and Yeovil College student who remains loyal to her South Somerset roots despite now playing for London’s Wasps Ladies played more than an hour of Sunday’s final.

Making head coach Gary Street’s starting XV to play Canada at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris earned Packer her 32nd cap. Now a fully-established international, the 24-year-old admitted a lengthy wait to play again after making her debut in 2008 against Sweden seemed a long time ago.

Packer said: “It was three years and three months but it feels like a distant memory. What I have achieved since that second cap has kept on building.

“My career has gone where I wanted it to go, now it’s about enjoying this moment as being new World Champions and then looking forward to the next goal.

“The support I have received from back home in the West Country at the World Cup has been sensational. I wasn’t surprised as I always knew it was there, but it makes you feel so proud. On a game day it was amazing.”

Packer first picked up a rugby ball as a five-year-old at Yeovil Rugby Club, then called Ivel Barbarians. After climbing through the ranks at the Yeovil Showground she moved to Bristol and then Wasps.

A plumber by trade, she conceded becoming part of a history-making team that last weekend ended a 20-year wait for another World Cup crown was almost surreal.

“It hasn’t settled in yet, I keep pinching myself,” said Packer. “I had a surreal moment at 5am on Monday morning when me and my roomie got back to bed. We were laying there and realised we were World Champions and just went ‘wahoo’.

“I just think as a squad we really concentrated on the goal in front of. We took each game as it came and that really worked for us. It got us to where we are now.”

Packer revealed a slight knock limited her impact towards the end of the group stages, while whenever she took to the sidelines – be it as a replacement or after substitution – it encouraged her hunger to play.

She said: “I knew that we would be rotating the squad and it was a big squad. I did also pick up a knock early in the tournament which held me back a bit and meant the rotation was even more important.

“For the Ireland game I was just itching to get on and I was delighted to make the impact that I did. I couldn’t be any more proud to come on and score those tries. I wanted to come on throughout the 60 minutes I was sitting on the bench, so that probably got me going.

“When I came off in the final I was then helpless. I did my time on the pitch and then just had to support the girls as much as possible, becoming the 16th player.

“The crowd was sensational, supporting the girls as much as they did and as soon as the final whistle went we were all on the pitch.”

Reflecting on her performances, Packer added: “It was all a bit unbelievable. I still watch the clips of the tries wondering how I did it. To equal Kay Wilson in tries scored made me so happy.

“I haven’t had the chance to watch the final but in my head I feel there are a few things that I didn’t do right. But where I was in January, to where I am now I have ticked all the boxes for the progress I wanted to make.”

Article source: http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12504/9334898/new-zealand-v-england-david-wilson-happy-with-underdog-tag

VIDEO: England take on Take That after winning Women"s Rugby World Cup