The England women's rugby side, known as the Red Roses, produced a dazzling second‑half display that propelled them to a 48‑15 victory over the Australian Wallaroos in the opening match of the WXV Global Series at Salford's CorpAcq Stadium. The contest unfolded as a classic tale of two halves, with the visitors taking an early lead before the hosts found their rhythm and unleashed a torrent of tries that left the scoreboard heavily in their favour. In the opening 40 minutes, Australia dictated the tempo. A penalty from Samantha Wood gave the Wallaroos a three‑point edge after just four minutes, and they soon extended the lead when Faliki Pohiva crossed the line and Wood successfully converted, putting the visitors ahead 10‑5 at the break.
England’s early attempts were thwarted by a combination of disciplined Australian defence and a few costly errors. Meg Jones, the English captain, appeared to have scored early on, but a video‑referee review ruled her offside, erasing the try and reinstating the Australian advantage. The Red Roses were further hampered when Wood was sin‑binned for a deliberate knock‑on, leaving England with only 14 players for a brief spell.
Seizing the opportunity, England’s forward pack pushed forward, and Sadia Kabeya fed the ball to Abi Burton, who dived over from close range. Unfortunately, Holly Aitchison missed the conversion, leaving the score unchanged.
Despite the numerical edge, the Wallaroos held firm for a few minutes before a second Australian try was disallowed after the television official determined that the ball had been sealed off at a line‑out. Australia eventually broke the deadlock again when a well‑executed line‑out steal allowed Pohiva to power over, with Wood adding the conversion to restore a 10‑5 lead. The English defence, however, remained resolute, and the half concluded with the Red Roses trailing for the first time at halftime in seven years – a rare occurrence last seen in 2019.
The second half marked a dramatic turnaround. Within seven minutes of the restart, England earned a line‑out maul that surged forward, culminating in a try by May Campbell.
Aitchison’s successful conversion gave the hosts a 12‑10 lead, and the momentum had clearly shifted. What followed was a blistering sequence of four tries in just ten minutes, showcasing England’s attacking flair and physical dominance. At the 51st minute, captain Meg Jones capped a perfectly timed kick from Aitchison, diving over to make it 18‑10.
Four minutes later, debutant Bryony Field guided a driving maul across the line, extending the margin to 24‑10. Two minutes after that, winger Mia Venner sprinted into the corner and grounded the ball, pushing the score to 30‑10.
By the 61st minute, Kabeya powered through under the posts, and Zoe Harrison added the conversion, bringing the tally to 34‑10 with less than twenty minutes remaining. Australia’s frustrations grew when Eva Karpani was sin‑binned for an infringement during the buildup to Venner’s try. England capitalised on the extra man, with substitute No. 7 Lucy Packer exploiting a breakdown to score, and Harrison once again converting, nudging the score to 41‑10.
After serving her ten‑minute suspension, Karpani managed to cross for a consolation try, but the damage was already done. The final minutes saw England maintain their intensity. Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald demonstrated her speed on the flank, diving over to make it 48‑15, while Harrison’s precise touchline conversion sealed the result. Throughout the match, the Red Roses displayed why they are the world‑number‑one side and reigning world champions, combining defensive solidity with an explosive attack.
Following the match, England’s player of the match, forward Abi Burton, spoke to BBC Sport about the 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’s next challenge comes against Canada on 19 September in Exeter, followed by a high‑profile clash with New Zealand at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on 26 September. The comprehensive victory over Australia not only reinforces England’s status at the top of women’s rugby but also provides a confidence boost as they continue their campaign in the WXV Global Series.