Marlie Packer just won't go away—and England's Grand Slam hopes are all the better for it.
The 36-year-old veteran flanker scored a stunning four tries in Saturday's 61-33 victory over Italy, setting up a winner-takes-all Women's Six Nations decider against France next weekend in Bordeaux. It was a performance that earned her player-of-the-match honors and reminded everyone why she's still one of the most dangerous forwards in the game.
But Packer's path back to the starting lineup wasn't easy. After losing the England captaincy to Zoe Stratford at the start of last year, the Saracens forward found herself slipping down the pecking order. She missed selection for the 2023 Grand Slam decider against France, and many thought her international career was winding down.
Even after making the home World Cup squad, Packer remained on the fringes, not featuring in any of the knockout games as England claimed glory. But less than a week after becoming a two-time World Cup winner, she made her intentions clear: she wasn't hanging up her boots any time soon.
"My secret weapon is that I am enjoying it and I have a smile back on my face," Packer told BBC Sport. "For the last couple of years, Sadia Kabeya has had the nod over me but fair play, I have my opportunity at the moment and I am enjoying it. There is no pressure."
In Parma, Packer showed she still has plenty left in the tank. She displayed impressive acceleration to latch onto a kick-through for her opening try, then bulldozed her way to the tryline three more times—smashing through multiple Italy defenders for her fourth score. It was a classic Packer performance: relentless, powerful, and impossible to ignore.
Now, with injuries and pregnancies disrupting head coach John Mitchell's starting pack, Packer has seized her opportunity. She's the oldest player in the squad at 115 caps, but she's firmly in line to feature in the Grand Slam decider at the 42,115-capacity Stade Atlantique.
"Marlie doesn't go away, does she?" Mitchell said with a smile. And with a fitting finale in Bordeaux on the horizon, Packer is proving that age is just a number—and that champions find a way to keep fighting.