In a spectacular display at Salford's CorpAcq Stadium, England's Red Roses overturned a modest first‑half deficit to defeat the Wallaroos 48‑15 in their opening match of the WXV Global Series. The hosts were trailing 10‑5 at the break, but a flurry of seven second‑half tries turned the contest into a showcase of English dominance and secured their place as the world’s top‑ranked side.
The opening 40 minutes belonged largely to Australia. A disciplined defensive line kept the English attack at bay, and a penalty by Samantha Wood, followed by a converted try from Faliki Pohiva, gave the visitors a 10‑5 lead at halftime. The only moment England could claim before the interval was a brief surge when Abi Burton crossed from close range after Wood was sin‑binned for a deliberate knock‑on.
Holly Aitchison missed the conversion, and the half ended with the Red Roses experiencing a rare halftime deficit – the first in seven years, the previous occurrence dating back to 2019. The second half told a different story. With a numerical advantage after Wood's temporary dismissal, England unleashed a relentless attacking wave. Sadia Kabeya fed the ball to Burton, who broke through the left edge to score the first try of the period.
The momentum shifted dramatically as May Campbell, Meg Jones, Bryony Field, Mia Venner, Lucy Packer and Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald each added their names to the scoresheet. Conversions were expertly handled by Aitchison and Zoe Harrison, who also contributed three successful kicks.
By the 61st minute England had piled on 39 consecutive unbeaten matches, a testament to their consistency at the highest level. 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. Despite her effort, the Wallaroos could not stem the tide of English points.
The Red Roses continued to demonstrate why they are reigning world champions, combining powerful forward play with swift backline movements. Key moments included a review‑overturned try by England captain Meg Jones for off‑side, a missed try by Brittany Merlo due to a line‑out infringement, and a series of rapid scores that saw England go from 12‑10 ahead to a 34‑10 lead within ten minutes. Harrison’s accurate boot added further conversions, stretching the margin to 41‑10 before the final whistle. After the match, player of the game Abi Burton spoke to BBC Sport, acknowledging the early challenges and praising 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 meeting New Zealand at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on September 26.
The emphatic victory over Australia not only reinforces their status as the sport's benchmark but also provides a confidence boost as they prepare for the next stages of the Global Series.