The England women’s rugby side, known as the Red Roses, delivered a spectacular second‑half display to overturn an early deficit and finish with a commanding 48‑15 victory over the Wallaroos in the opening match of the WXV Global Series at Salford’s CorpAcq Stadium. The match began with Australia asserting themselves, but the hosts rallied after the break, scoring seven tries in rapid succession and re‑establishing their position as the world’s top‑ranked team. In the opening 40 minutes, the Wallaroos showed why they are a formidable opponent.
A well‑executed penalty by Samantha Wood gave England a three‑point lead, but Australia responded swiftly. Faliki Pohiva powered over for a try, and Wood’s conversion restored the Australians to a 10‑5 advantage at the break. The Red Roses’ only score before halftime came when Wood was sin‑binned for a deliberate knock‑on; during the ensuing numerical advantage, centre Abi Burton plunged over from close range, though Holly Aitchison missed the conversion. The half‑time scoreboard reflected a rare moment for England – the first time they had trailed at the interval in seven years, a statistic dating back to 2019.
The second half belonged entirely to the hosts. With renewed intensity, England launched a series of attacking moves that produced tries from May Campbell, Meg Jones, Bryony Field, Mia Venner, Sadia Kabeya, Lucy Packer and Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald. Conversions were handled efficiently by Aitchison and Zoe Harrison, who added three successful kicks. By the 61st minute, the Red Roses had amassed 39 consecutive unbeaten matches, a testament to their consistency on the international stage.
Australia managed a consolation try through Eva Karpani, who had earlier been sin‑binned for an infringement in the build‑up to Venner’s try. Karpani’s effort, while a bright spot for the Wallaroos, could not stem the tide of English points. The match concluded with the scoreline 48‑15, underscoring England’s dominance and reinforcing their status as reigning world champions.
Looking ahead, England’s next challenge comes against Canada on 19 September in Exeter, followed by a high‑profile clash with New Zealand at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on 26 September. The narrative of the game truly reflected a tale of two halves. Early on, Australia capitalized on a penalty against England for holding on, with Wood slotting a conversion to give the visitors a three‑point lead after just four minutes.
A subsequent try by England captain Meg Jones was overturned after a video review confirmed she was offside during the charge‑down, reinstating Australia’s early advantage. Australia continued to press, but a pivotal moment arrived when Wood was sent to the sin‑bin for a deliberate knock‑on. England, now with a 14‑player side, exploited the gap; after five minutes of sustained pressure, Sadia Kabeya delivered a crisp pass that set up Burton for a short‑range score. The Wallaroos responded with a try from Brittany Merlo, but the video referee disallowed it for a line‑out infringement.
Eight minutes later, the Australians broke through again when a well‑timed line‑out steal allowed Pohiva to drive over, with Wood converting to restore a 10‑5 lead. The first half ended with Australia’s defence holding firm, leaving England trailing for the first time in seven years – an unprecedented situation for the Red Roses. Motivated by the halftime score, England surged in the second half. Within seven minutes, a line‑out maul was driven forward, and May Campbell touched down, with Aitchison adding the conversion to put England ahead 12‑10.
The momentum continued as England rattled off four tries in a ten‑minute spell. On the 51st minute, skipper Meg Jones finished a well‑placed Aitchison kick. Four minutes later, debutant Bryony Field steered a driving maul over the line. Two minutes after that, Mia Venner crossed in the corner, and by the 61st minute, Sadia Kabeya powered over under the posts, extending the lead to 34‑10 after Harrison’s conversion.
Australia’s woes deepened when Karpani received a second sin‑bin for an infringement during the build‑up to Venner’s try. England capitalized further: replacement No 7 Lucy Packer exploited a breakdown to score, and Zoe Harrison’s accurate boot pushed the margin to 41‑10. After serving her ten‑minute suspension, Karpani managed a consolation try from the back of a line‑out, but England sealed the victory when Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald showcased her speed on the wing, and Harrison added a final touchline conversion, finalising the 48‑15 result.
Player of the Match, Abi Burton, reflected on the performance in a BBC Sport interview: "It was tough, they made us work for it. We knew we weren't at our best at half‑time, we needed to come out and bring it to them physically because they came out absolutely gunning. That cohesiveness started to click at the end. There is so much more to come from this team, we've just got a few teething issues to sort out.
It's going to take time for us to get back into it with a shorter pre‑season. But it's about how we adapt quickly and we’re ready for the next Test match.
We're a different group of players in some aspects, but the messages have always been the same: be the best versions of ourselves and be as cohesive as possible. It's an ever‑evolving Red Roses team."