England's Rosie Galligan, who spent three years out of Test rugby through injury, illness and lockdowns, says setbacks have made her a better player.

She won her second England cap in March, more than three years after her Test debut.

"I'm a bigger, better, stronger person and player for it," Galligan told Rugby Union Weekly.

"I will take the lows and come away with even bigger highs.

"Being back in a white shirt with my family in the crowd at a World Cup in New Zealand, it has all been worth it."

Galligan's parents watched their daughter mark her first appearance at the Rugby World Cup with a hat-trick of tries in the Red Roses' 75-0 demolition of South Africa.

Galligan made more metres with ball in hand than any other England forward and oversaw a line-out that claimed 15 out of 17 on their own throw.

"I wasn't really expecting to score any tries," she added.

"I was just focusing on calling some line-outs and hopefully getting on the ball and carrying hard.

"Throughout the week, I have felt the pressure [of calling the line-out].

"[Rested England locks] Abbie [Ward] and Zoe [Aldcroft] are phenomenal second rows and having their support was incredible. I knew, as soon as I stepped on the pitch, I could do it."

England take on Australia on Sunday for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Galligan said that England have held back in some aspects of their pool performances to keep the element of surprise over their opponents in the knockout stages.

"We definitely have things in the locker," she added.

"It is just choosing when and where we will use them. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

"We don't want to showcase everything we have yet but in the quarter-finals, we know we are going to have to do something a bit different. What it is, I am not going to tell you."

Galligan will definitely be keeping those secrets from Australian trio Emily Chancellor, Bella McKenzie and Kaitlan Leaney, who will become her Harlequins team-mates after the tournament.

"I have been sussing them out!" said Galligan.

"I was really excited to hear we were going to be playing them rather than your usual teams that we play throughout the year. I know that they are going to offer something different."