By Jackie Finlan

More than 15,000 tickets have been sold for the England vs. France test this Saturday, as the two undefeated teams prepare for the penultimate round of the Women’s Six Nations. 

Watch W6N: England vs. France LIVE on FloRugby

When: Saturday, March 10 | Time: 2 PM CT | Where: Stade des Alpes, Grenoble

In the middle of it all is England scrumhalf Leanne Riley, who took some time to talk about the support she will receive from back home while the Red Roses do battle in Grenoble, France.

The 24-year-old has been in the national team system since 2011, has earned 19 caps for England, and currently plays her Tyrrells Premier League ball with the Harlequins. 

Supportive Employers

When she’s not on the pitch, Riley serves as a franchise lead for the Lions Sports Academy, which hosts rugby camps and also strength, speed, and conditioning programs for kids aged 8-18. 

She also does some personal training, which was her full-time job last year.

“If I'm honest, it is both exhausting and exhilarating,” Riley confessed. “What I do have is very supportive employers, and they hired me based on my commitments with England. It allows me to work mobile, whether that be at home whilst I am recovering or around training in camp. 

"My pure focus throughout competition is the rugby and they totally understand that — anything else is a bonus. If I need their help, I just tell them and they will be able to offload the pressure. Playing rugby for your country is an indescribable feeling. You would be stupid to not prioritize it.”

Club And Country

The club system and England make that prioritization easy. The tournament is 1 1/2 months long, and players come in and out of the game-day squad. Meanwhile, the premier club league is in season, but the two entities manage the players’ commitments.  

“Club and England communicate between one another pretty well, from medics to coaches to the management staff. We only have to re-iterate what has already been said, which isn't very often,” Riley said. 

“Decisions are made based on a performance outcome, and the alignment for this is done for us. Personally, I don't see any conflict or hear of any. They are very much supportive of us playing for England.”

The Big Game

This coming game for England will be the toughest yet and perhaps the biggest women's international of the year. England is unbeaten through three rounds and has unleashed a power game that is difficult to stop. France is also 3-0 and plays a dynamic, wide game coupled with the best defense in the Six Nations.

Riley has competed in all three of England’s 2018 Women’s Six Nations games thus far, and her team's 52-0 victory over Wales on Feb. 10 was particularly memorable. The match occurred at Twickenham Stoop, which is also her club’s home pitch. 

“The stadium itself is pretty open, and everything echoes. It is cliché, but the crowd is the 16th man/woman on the pitch with you, and I definitely felt that against Wales,” Riley recalled. “The club are always supporting us, through social media, at training, at the games, and the fact that this is done in alignment with the men is a huge step forward for any female club. 

It is a great honor to put the Harlequins shirt on and the fact I get to do it alongside some of my best friends makes it that much sweeter.”

Riley will have three Harlequins teammates by her side Saturday as England take on France — outside center Rachael Burford (77 caps), prop Vickii Cornborough (37 caps), and lock Abbie Scott (27 caps). 

Women's Six Nations Round 4 Schedule:

Saturday, March 10: England at France
2 PM CT — WATCH LIVE

Sunday, March 11: Italy at Wales
5:45 AM CT — WATCH LIVE

Sunday, March 11: Scotland at Ireland
9 AM CT — WATCH LIVE

Jackie Finlan is the editor of The Rugby Breakdown.