England’s 39-game winning streak ended after the world champions drew 26-26 against Canada in Sandy Park.
It was an extremely interesting tie that saw each team score four tries and Olivia Apps’ converted try in the 58th minute meant that nothing separated the two teams.
To describe Sandy Park as ‘edgy’ does the word a disservice. For most of the competition, nothing could be separated England and Canada in the Women’s replay Rugby World Cup Final 2025.
It was Canada who made an early impression as Lizzie Gibson blasted her way across the white paint. The Red Roses soon responded with a try from Claudia Moloney MacDonald, only for DaLeaka Menin to bring it down just five minutes later.
Hannah Botterman and Moloney-MacDonald’s second try put the world champions in front again. In the continuation of the half, Menin had one more and the result was tied.
That’s how the game will continue. After half-time, unlike the first half, England managed to get their first try of the second 40 minutes when Bryony Field tipped over at the back of the line.
Four minutes later, a bit of magic saw Sophie de Goede and Apps combine to level the scores again. 22 minutes of nail biting rugby soon followed before Claire Gallagher kicked the ball into touch on the stroke of full time.
Here’s how the Red Roses rated…
15. Ellie Kildunne – 6.5
Much like last week, it was an underrated performance from Ellie Kildunne. The 27-year-old was as lively as ever in attack, even if her minutes on the Sandy Park turf did not yield a try Bristol Bears quarterback She beat four defenders and made 22 yards in 15 carries.
14. Jess Breach – 5
A quiet return to Test rugby for Jess Breach. Honestly, not much came in the way Saracens the wing. As such, the 28-year-old, who has scored 57 tries in 58 Test appearances, has largely been a spectator in attack. Defensively, Breach committed five turnovers.
13. Megan Jones – 6.5
When Meg Jones nailed Canadian territory early, it was a reminder that the England captain is ready for this game. We got the kind of performance we’ve come to expect from the England captain, who was used as a fulcrum in her team’s attack as they tried to unlock the Americans. Among other things, Jones threw the ball four times, passed the ball seven times, and even made six tackles.
12. Helena Rowland – 6
It wasn’t a great performance from Helena Rowland, but she performed the role England required of her. There is no blemish in her workbook. As second distributor to Zoe Harrison, the 29-year-old helped keep England’s attack on the front foot and was solid in defense with her nine tackles.
11. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald – 7
Huge impact in the first half. Scorer of two tries in the first 33 minutes, the wing showed a clean set of fives to score his second and plenty of flair in the lead up to the second. Maybe the wing was broken either when she isolated herself in possession, where she coughed up possession twice.
10. Zoe Harrison – 7
There’s no doubt that Zoe Harrison’s confidence is high right now. For much of the last 12 months, the Saracen playmaker has been at the top of her game. Introduced from the bench a week ago, Harrison showed a great range of shots, with some excellent touch shots and even 50:22. Her distribution, as always, was on point, and she finished the game with two assists in a try. Harrison also scored three tries.
9. Lucy Packer – 7
Perhaps thanks to her string of starts in the women’s Six Nations competition, Lucy Packer looks so confident in the starting shirt. Rhythm and laser-guided passing never let her teammates down. Combined with Zoe Harrison at fly-half, you have to think John Mitchell prefers her partnership. It could even be a coveted partnership on the British & Irish Lions Women’s tour to New Zealand next year.
1. Hannah Botterman – 6.5
To back up a strong performance off the bench a week ago, Hannah Botterman went all out against Canada. In fact, her last Test start was against the same opponents in the game Women’s Rugby World Cup Final 2025 Fierce in defeat, the 27-year-old scored a try in the 21st minute to help her team win 100 per cent of her tackles. It’s a real shame to see her come out of the fight looking uncomfortable.
2. Bryony Field – 8
In her first test, Bryony Field looked very busy. The 25-year-old, who scored on her Test debut last week in Salford, made 11 first-half tackles. By the end of the game they had 18. England did lose two sets in the first half, but certainly nothing to discourage the whore. She was rewarded with a try from the back of the line in the 54th minute. The bright international career continues.
3. Maud Muir – 6.5
An underrated performance from the Gloucester-Hartpury prop. During her time on the field, England had a 100% tackle success rate and she also contributed 12 of her team’s tries.
4. Morwenna Talling – 6
Really, really, really solid by Morwenna Talling. Back in England’s starting kit for the first time since Round 1 of the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, I felt like Sale Sharks Lock was right back to his best. She made 15 moves.
5. Lilli Ives Campion – 6
As usual, Lilli Ives Campion’s domain is a lineout. On Saturday at Sandy Park, the 22-year-old invoked herself more than anyone on set. She was also a useful figure in defense and made 14 tackles.
6. Abi Burton – 6
It wasn’t the rock star level performance of a week ago. It was much more businesslike than Abi Burton in Sandy Park. She made 13 tackles and carried the ball multiple times, but her yardage tally didn’t break double digits.
7. Readiness – 6.5
Enriched with a lot of useful things that she spent on the field. Kabeya’s transition from hard-nosed winger to back-row forward in all actions has been a joy to see this past year. You can’t say it was the best performance we’ve ever seen from the 24-year-old, but it certainly wasn’t bad.
8. Alex Matthews – 7
It’s been five months since we last saw Alex Matthews play international rugby. Red Rose fans can be pleased that the wait is over. The two-time Women’s Rugby World Cup winner dominated attack and defence. By the time she was replaced by Maddie Feaunati, Matthews had made 35 yards on 12 carries and completed 12 tackles.
Substitutions – 6.5
None of England’s substitutes came on and changed the game. It was a stark contrast to a week ago, when the bench ultimately proved to be the difference in Salford against the Wallaroos. Maddie Feaunati was by far the best performer, with several hard-hitting carries leading to metres.
