The England women's rugby side, known as the Red Roses, unleashed a spectacular second‑half display that propelled them to a 48‑15 victory over the Wallaroos in their opening match of the WXV Global Series at the CorpAcq Stadium in Salford. While the first half was dominated by Australia, the hosts turned the tide after the break, scoring seven tries and reasserting their status as the world’s top‑ranked team. In the opening minutes Australia took the initiative.
A penalty awarded against England for a holding offence saw Australian fly‑half Samantha Wood slot the ball through for three points. Four minutes later Wood added a conversion after a well‑executed try by Faliki Pohiva, giving the visitors a 10‑5 lead at the break.
The Red Roses’ only score before halftime came when England centre Abi Burton crossed the line from close range after Wood was temporarily removed from the field for a deliberate knock‑on. Holly Aitchison attempted the conversion but missed, leaving the half‑time score at 10‑5 in favour of Australia. The half‑time scoreboard was significant for England: it marked the first occasion in seven years that the Red Roses trailed at the interval, the previous instance dating back to 2019.
The early deficit seemed to galvanise the home side. After Wood’s sin‑bin period, England enjoyed a numerical advantage and quickly capitalised. Sadia Kabeya sliced the ball back inside to Burton, who dived over for a try, narrowing the gap.
Though Australia fought back, a contentious try by Brittany Merlo was overturned after the video referee ruled a line‑out infringement, and a subsequent Wallaroos try by Pohiva was the last points they would add before the break. The second half belonged entirely to England. Within seven minutes of the restart, England earned a line‑out maul that surged forward, with May Campbell grounding the ball for a try.
Aitchison’s conversion put the Red Roses ahead 12‑10. The momentum shifted dramatically as England’s attack exploded, delivering four tries in a ten‑minute burst.
On the 51st minute, captain Meg Jones finished a slick move set up by Aitchison’s kick. Five minutes later debutante Bryony Field powered over from a driving maul. Two minutes after that, winger Mia Venner dived into the corner, and four minutes later Sadia Kabeya crossed under the posts, capping a relentless spell that left the score at 34‑10.
Conversion duties were shared. Zoe Harrison, England’s reliable kicker, added three successful conversions during this period, extending the lead to 41‑10 with just under twenty minutes remaining. The Wallaroos’ frustration grew when Eva Karpani was sin‑binned for an infringement during the build‑up to Venner’s try.
England continued to exploit the extra player, with replacement No.7 Lucy Packer breaking a tackle at the breakdown and diving over for another try. Harrison’s accurate boot once again increased the margin.
Australia managed a consolation try after Karpani returned from her ten‑minute suspension, diving over from the back of a line‑out, but the score was already beyond reach. In the final minutes, Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald sprinted down the touchline and touched down, and Harrison sealed the afternoon with a crisp touchline conversion, bringing the final tally to 48‑15. Player of the Match, centre Abi Burton, summed up the experience in an interview with BBC Sport: "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." The win extended England’s unbeaten run to 39 matches, reinforcing their reputation as the world champions.
Looking ahead, the Red Roses will travel to Exeter to face Canada on September 19 before taking on New Zealand at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on September 26. The performance in Salford demonstrated the depth of talent and the resilience of a side that can recover from a rare half‑time deficit and dominate the second half with a blend of power, precision, and tactical acumen. The match also highlighted the importance of discipline, as both teams suffered sin‑bin penalties that directly influenced the flow of play. Overall, the encounter was a vivid illustration of why England remains at the pinnacle of women’s rugby and a reminder that even the strongest teams can be challenged when they allow complacency to creep in during the early stages of a game.