Phillips finding form again in stellar JAECOO Next Gen Cup campaign

Holly Phillips has taken a step back to power herself forward as the leading try scorer in the JAECOO PWR Next Gen Cup. 

The versatile Bristol Bear has been named at tighthead prop for their semi-final clash against defending champions Saracens on Saturday, meaning she will have played across the entire front row during the competition. 

Her six tries lead the way in the Cup, and are all the sweeter after an extended injury lay-off last season. 

“This year was huge for me,” the Bristol native said. “I really took a step back from all the pressures that sometimes I put on myself, big picture-wise. 

“Whether that's international ambition, whether that's Premiership ambition, I just needed to remind myself of why I started playing and the love of the game - and that, when I'm in a really good headspace, I can produce some really good rugby.  

“With support from my teammates and the squad, this JAECOO Next Gen Cup block has been an amazing opportunity for me to find my rhythm.

“I was coming off of a really long-term injury at a really unfortunate time in the season, and the international calendar as well, for Canada. 

“But just taking a step back, stripping back all of the outside noise and pressure, and just doing the basics really well and finding an enjoyment for it, I found a really nice flow, and I happen to be on really good form right now for Bristol. I'm in a good place.” 

Phillips’ strong showing so far in the Cup will have piqued the interest of both Bristol boss Scott Lawson and Canada head coach Kevin Rouet. 

Though born in the South West, Phillips spent half her childhood in Canada, where her parents still live, and has been capped by the Maple Leafs. 

Before she can look to add to her international experience, she aims to become a regular fixture in Bristol’s fearsome front row, which can call on several England internationals including Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, and Hannah Botterman. 

And Phillips believes that the JAECOO PWR Next Gen Cup provides the perfect platform for herself and her teammates to show what they are made of. 

She added: “I'm speaking about my individual need to build some confidence and find form, but it's a running theme as a collective.

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“This opportunity was amazing, and the time of year for our internationals to go away on the world stage was something we're really proud of, but it was really important to us as a Cup squad that we showcase the depth and quality across Bristol.

“To come in and perform and potentially put into practice some of the foundations we were going to lay for, hopefully, a really competitive PWR season.

“It's been awesome to get some game time and some confidence. We didn't treat the Cup as a trial run by any means, it was just an awesome chance for us to give younger players an opportunity to develop, and then our foundation players that weren't quite invited into international duty, an opportunity to find some really good form.” 

Phillips speaks passionately about the growth of the women’s game and celebrated Canada’s wins over the Red Roses in WXV as much as a victory for rugby as for her adopted country. 

She also spoke on how powerful watching clubmates Atkin-Davies and Abbie Ward’s return from pregnancy have been to witness, with both included in Bristol’s team this weekend, the latter for the first time since welcoming her second child.

Furthermore, the 26-year-old is putting her values into action as a coach for the University of Bristol’s BUCS team, alongside Bristol legend Amber Reed. 

It has given Phillips the unique opportunity to train and play alongside some of the students she coaches, including Izzy Jaques, Izzy van der Straaten, Immy Ballinger and Jodi Palmer, who are all on the bench for Saturday. 

“It was such a cool experience for me because it was the first time I properly got to be both a coach and a teammate at the same time,” Phillips said.  

“I speak about the next generation coming up, and from a coaching point of view, it's really easy to try and grow the game and put your stamp on it, to then continue that mentorship and that guidance alongside some of those players that have come up the BUCS ranks was really special to me.

“Having to switch off and go and tackle them in training was quite a unique experience. But it was really cool to show the balance, and there was such an added layer of respect. 
 

“It's just exciting, I love it. I think the opportunity for an 18-, 19-year-old, this year and last year, compared to what it would have been five years ago in this league, it's become a really accommodating space for the growth of those younger players. It's a really special and important avenue for the game.”