The England women’s rugby side, known as the Red Roses, produced a dominant second‑half display to clinch a 48‑15 victory against the Wallaroos in the opening match of the WXV Global Series at Salford's CorpAcq Stadium. While the first half was largely controlled by the visitors, who entered the break with a 10‑5 lead, the hosts turned the tide after the interval, scoring seven unanswered tries and reaffirming their status as the world’s top‑ranked side.
In the opening minutes Australia capitalised on an early English penalty for holding on, with Samantha Wood slotting the conversion to take a three‑point advantage after four minutes. A subsequent try by Faliki Pohiva, successfully converted by Wood, extended the Wallaroos' lead to 10‑5 at the half‑time whistle.
The Red Roses’ only score before the break came when England’s scrum‑half Abi Burton crossed from close range after Wood was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock‑on; Holly Aitchison missed the conversion, leaving the score unchanged. The half‑time deficit was a rare occurrence for England, marking the first time in seven years that the Red Roses trailed at the break—a streak that dated back to 2019. The setback appeared to galvanise the home side, and the second half unfolded as a showcase of England’s attacking prowess and depth.
The comeback began with a well‑executed line‑out maul that saw May Campbell dive over for the first try of the half, with Aitchison converting to give England a 12‑10 lead. From that point the Red Roses unleashed a torrent of scores: Meg Jones, who had earlier seen a try disallowed for off‑side, finally crossed after a brilliant kick from Aitchison; debutant Bryony Field powered over from a driving maul; winger Mia Venner finished a sweeping move in the corner; and centre Sadia Kabeya forced her way under the posts to make it 34‑10. Each try was accompanied by reliable boot work.
Zoe Harrison added three conversions, while Aitchison contributed two, ensuring the scoreboard reflected England’s dominance. The relentless pressure also forced Australia into disciplinary trouble; Eva Karpani was sin‑binned for an infringement during the build‑up to Venner’s try, leaving the Wallaroos with only fourteen players for a crucial stretch.
England capitalised on the numerical advantage when replacement No.7 Lucy Packer seized a breakdown opportunity and grounded the ball for another try. Harrison’s accurate kicking pushed the margin to 41‑10. After serving her ten‑minute suspension, Karpani managed to cross for Australia from a line‑out steal, providing a brief consolation, but England answered swiftly.
Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald displayed blistering speed on the wing before Harrison sealed the affair with a textbook touchline conversion, finalising the score at 48‑15. The match statistics underscore England’s superiority: seven tries to Australia’s single score, a conversion success rate of over 80 per cent, and a possession advantage that grew steadily after the half‑time interval. The Red Roses also demonstrated defensive resilience, limiting the Wallaroos to just two penalties and a solitary try in the second half. Post‑match, scrum‑half Abi Burton was named Player of the Match.
Speaking to BBC Sport, she reflected on the team’s performance: "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." Looking ahead, England will travel to Exeter to face Canada on 19 September before taking on New Zealand at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on 26 September.
The emphatic win over Australia provides a confidence boost as the Red Roses aim to maintain their unbeaten run, now extending to 39 matches, and to cement their claim as the benchmark for women’s international rugby.