The England women's rugby side, known as the Red Roses, delivered a spectacular second‑half performance that propelled them to 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 dominated by Australia, who held a 10‑5 lead at the break, England turned the tide after the interval, scoring seven tries and showcasing why they are the current world champions and top‑ranked team.
In the opening minutes, the hosts capitalised on a penalty conceded by England for holding on, with Samantha Wood slotting the kick to give Australia a three‑point advantage after just four minutes. A subsequent try by Faliki Pohiva, successfully converted by Wood, extended the lead to 10‑5. England's early response appeared promising when skipper Meg Jones crossed the line, but a video‑referee review ruled her offside, erasing the score and restoring Australia’s advantage. The Red Roses' first points came only after Wood was sin‑binned for a deliberate knock‑on.
With the visitors reduced to 14 players, England pressed forward and short‑range forward Abi Burton grounded the ball for a try. However, Holly Aitchison missed the conversion, leaving the half‑time score at 10‑5 in favour of the Wallaroos. This marked the first occasion in seven years that England trailed at the break, a rarity last seen in 2019. The second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum.
England emerged with renewed intensity, exploiting the extra player and quickly breaking through the Australian defence. Sadia Kabeya fed the ball to Burton, who scored the first try of the half, and Aitchison added the conversion, putting England ahead 12‑10. From there, the Red Roses unleashed a torrent of attacking rugby, crossing the try line four times in a ten‑minute burst. May Campbell finished a well‑executed line‑out maul to make it 17‑10, and Aitchison’s conversion restored the lead.
Shortly after, Meg Jones capitalised on a superb kick from Aitchison to score, followed by a conversion that pushed the score to 24‑10. Debutante Bryony Field then steered a powerful maul over for her first international try, and Zoe Harrison added the points from the tee, extending the margin to 31‑10. The onslaught continued as Mia Venner dived into the corner for a try, and Kabeya powered over under the posts, each time followed by Harrison’s reliable boot, taking the tally to 39‑10 with just under twenty minutes left on the clock. Australia’s fortunes dipped further when Eva Karpani, who had earlier been sin‑binned for an infringement during the build‑up to Venner’s try, returned to the field and managed a consolation try after a line‑out steal, but the damage was already done.
England’s bench made a significant contribution as replacement No 7 Lucy Packer broke through the breakdown to score, and Harrison’s conversion nudged the score to 41‑10. After serving her ten‑minute punishment, Karpani crossed for Australia’s second try, narrowing the gap to 41‑15, but the Red Roses responded swiftly. Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald displayed blistering pace on the wing, grounding the ball for the final try, and Harrison’s precise touchline conversion sealed the result at 48‑15.
Post‑match, forward 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 September 19 before confronting New Zealand at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on September 26.
The dominant display against Australia not only reaffirmed their status as world champions but also highlighted the depth of talent and resilience within the squad, setting a high bar for the remainder of the WXV series.