England's record 39-match winning run is over after a 2-0 series defeat, and coach John Mitchell is pointing to PWR as he looks for answers.
The Red Roses are human after all. England's women have lost a Test series 2-0, and with it went a record 39-match winning streak and a 41-match unbeaten run. Few teams in world rugby have set a standard that high.
The defeats also bring another unwelcome first. England have now lost back-to-back matches for the first time since 2016, a reminder of how long they have kept this level of consistency. For a side that has been the benchmark of the women's game, the dip lands hard.
Head coach John Mitchell is not hitting the panic button. He has played down any crisis, but he has also issued a warning linked to PWR, the competition feeding England's player pool. His message is that standards have to keep rising if the Red Roses want to stay on top.
The rest of the world will take heart from this series. The gap between England and their rivals has been closing, and an unbeaten run this long was always going to end eventually. The question now is how Mitchell's squad respond. Expect a team with plenty to prove when they next take the field.
