Mclean hoping to end 2013 on a high

England’s Autumn internationals see them play France at Twickenham this Saturday and Canada on Wednesday at The Stoop and the games offer Mclean’s side a chance to put their annus horribilis behind them.

England's high standards mean that a third place finish in the Six Nations and a three-test whitewash against New Zealand will put this year down as an incredibly disappointing one and Mclean says there are high expectations the squad can put year to bed positively in the next few games.

“I don’t think we are rebuilding at the moment. We’ve all played a lot of rugby over the last year and now it’s about knuckling down and getting the most out of each other and the team in the lead up to the World Cup, using all of those experiences positive and negative. That starts this weekend against France."

Mclean returns to lead the side for the first time in a year, having spent most of 2013 involved in Sevens rugby, though she was a key figure in three summer tests to New Zealand, where England were ultimately unsuccessful.

“New Zealand was a tough tour in terms of results obviously,"she says.

"But for me to go there straight out of the Sevens World Cup in Moscow was just what I needed. I was quite apprehensive about seeing everyone again after being away with Sevens, but the girls were fantastic and there was a great vibe about the squad. For me it felt like coming home.”

England lost all three tests but Mclean has nothing but praise for the New Zealand side

“New Zealand were outstanding. In that second test we thought we had the game won, and for them to go and score to win it after the hooter, just shows how good they are. We will have learned a lot from that."

She reflects briefly on her Sevens experience this year, where she was one of a number of players part-time training in London before heading to Moscow, where England eventually finished sixth at the World Cup.

“We weren’t at the races in Moscow and in Sevens if you don’t turn up on the day that’s it, you don’t have time to recover. Sevens is pretty brutal in that respect. Moscow apart, the whole experience in the Sevens camp was amazing and probably as close as I will get to being a professional athlete. It is a time of my life I will treasure despite being disappointed at the end of it, and having had to spend a lot of time commuting between London and home."

England’s results this year may make painful reading given the standards they set themselves, but Mclean can look on the bright side.

“Yes the facts will say we’ve had a poor year, but if you look outside of that, I think there are hidden lessons for us that will prove to be invaluable.”

“For us there are no excuses now over the next year – it’s about taking all of the experiences we’ve had since the last World Cup and standing up and doing it when it counts in the important games. It’s a hugely exciting prospect for everyone involved.”

To France, who England face on Saturday. Mclean came off the bench in this year’s Six Nations game when France stripped England of their unbeaten record at Twickenham, and the experienced number 10 knows what to expect this weekend.

“France are an incredibly physical side and they can match that with flair as well. They don’t have any real set sort of pattern but we know we will have to win the battle in the tight areas if we want to win. We are not going to underestimate them but we have got to turn up. We want the game to be good in front of the fans at Twickenham and we need a big performance."

“Mentally you don’t need anything else to motivate you than playing France at Twickenham. We know it’s not about peaking and being perfect in November with the World Cup still a little way off, but we need a good solid performance to kickstart that journey.”

Canada, who beat France this week in their second November test game, have been paired with England at next summer’s World Cup, adding extra spice to the meeting of the two sides next week.

“Canada will definitely be physical as well. Obviously they beat the England team that went to the Nations Cup this summer and they will be confident because of that. They are fantastic athletes with great skills and I think that’s going to be a tough game.”

As England’s leading flyhalf, Mclean says she does take tips from watching the men’s game, citing Nick Evans as the player she most admires in that pivotal role.  With Alice Richardson absent in these games, Mclean’s rivalry for the number 10 shirt will come mainly from Ceri Large, who has progressed quickly over the past year.

“I think Ceri has come on loads in the last year. I watched the Nations Cup games online this summer and I was impressed with her awareness and her kicking game so she’s definitely pushing hard.”

The omens are good for England with Mclean leading the side out this weekend – they have never lost a test game with her wearing the skipper’s armband since she first did so in 2011.

“There are a lot of leaders in our squad. Whether I was captain or not, I am not someone who sits there quietly and we’ve got lots of players like that so the leadership gets spread out quite a bit. It is an honour to do it every time."

England Autumn International Series:

Nov 9, England v France, Twickenham Stadium, KO 5.05pm, live on Sky Sports 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.Free entry to Twickenham Stadium following England Men’s QBE International.

Nov 13, England v Canada,The Twickenham Stoop, KO 7pm., live onwww.rfu.com/englandwomenlive and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Tickets are available via www.ticketmaster.co.uk (0844 847 2492) and www.quins.co.uk (0208 410 6000). Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for Under 16s.