The England women's rugby side, known as the Red Roses, delivered a spectacular second‑half performance that saw them overturn an early deficit and cruise 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 built a 10-5 lead through a penalty from Samantha Wood and a converted try by Faliki Pohiva, the second half belonged entirely to England, who scored seven unanswered tries and re‑established their status as the world’s top‑ranked team.
In the opening minutes of the encounter, Australia took advantage of a penalty against England for holding on, allowing Wood to slot a penalty goal and give the visitors a three‑point advantage after just four minutes. England appeared to have answered back when skipper Meg Jones grounded the ball for a try, but a video‑referee review ruled her offside, erasing the score and leaving the Wallaroos with the early lead.
The hosts continued to press, but a crucial moment came when Wood was sin‑binned for a deliberate knock‑on. With England reduced to fourteen players, they seized the opportunity. After a short‑range effort from forward Abi Burton, who crossed the line while Wood was off the field, England finally got on the scoreboard, though the conversion attempt by Holly Aitchison missed. This brief lead was short‑lived, however, as Australia responded with a try from Faliki Pohiva, converted by Wood, restoring a 10-5 advantage at the break.
That half‑time score marked a historic moment for the Red Roses: it was the first time in seven years that they had trailed at the interval, the previous occurrence dating back to 2019. The setback seemed to galvanise the English side, and the second half unfolded as a masterclass in attacking rugby. Within seven minutes of the restart, England forced a line‑out maul that culminated in a try by May Campbell, with Aitchison converting to give the hosts a 12-10 lead.
What followed was a torrent of tries that showcased the depth and speed of the English backline. On the 51st minute, Meg Jones, who had been denied earlier, completed a brilliant move set up by Aitchison and touched down for her first try of the match. Four minutes later, debutante Bryony Field steered a driving maul over the line, adding to the growing tally. The onslaught continued at a break‑neck pace: Mia Venner crossed in the corner on the 57th minute, followed by Sadia Kabeya powering over under the posts on the 61st minute.
Each try was accompanied by a reliable conversion from Aitchison, and later from Zoe Harrison, who added three successful kicks from the tee. By the 65th minute, England had amassed 34 points, leaving Australia scrambling to find any foothold. Australia managed a consolation try in the 70th minute when Eva Karpani, who had earlier been sin‑binned for an infringement leading up to Venner's try, broke away from a line‑out and grounded the ball.
However, the damage was already done. England’s replacement No.7 Lucy Packer capitalised on a breakdown, diving over to extend the lead, while Harrison’s precision kicking pushed the score to 41-10. In the final minutes, Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald demonstrated her speed on the wing, scoring the last try of the match. Harrison completed the scoring on the touchline with a flawless conversion, sealing the final result at 48-15.
The victory marked England's 39th consecutive unbeaten match, reinforcing their dominance on the international stage. Post‑match, player of the match Abi Burton spoke to BBC Sport, reflecting on the team's resilience: "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 get 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 taking on New Zealand at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on September 26. The emphatic win over Australia not only provided a confidence boost but also offered a clear blueprint for the Red Roses' blend of physicality, skillful backline movement, and relentless pressure that will be crucial as they continue their campaign in the WXV Global Series.