The Red Roses certainly had to dig deep in their 48-15 win over the Wallaroos in their WXV Global Series opener in Salford.
At half time England trailed 10-5 at Northwestern. They trailed at the break for the first time since 2020. Which tells you how well Australia signed up in those first 40 minutes.
In the second half, Australia’s determination did not withstand the world champions. In the second half, England brought on May Campbell, Meg Jones, Bryony Field, Mia Venner, Lucy Packer and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald.
Here’s how the Red Roses graded out against the Wallaroos…
15 Ellie Kildunne – 6.5
An unusually quiet day for Ellie Kildunne. A player categorized by her stardust on the court, the 27-year-old found limited space in attack and even made a few uncharacteristic mistakes. What impressed her was keeping the game alive. England obviously want to keep any attack alive, which is an area where you can usually expect a full-back to deliver. She also performed an expert spiral touch kick. Mega.
14 Mia Friends – 6.5
Mia Venner was kept busy for the Red Roses, although her only real impact on the match could be categorized by her second-half try. To be fair, the 24-year-old didn’t make a mistake, but he didn’t take the game by a hair’s breadth either. Her pass for Claudia Moloney-MacDonald’s try was an outstanding piece of midfield play.
13 Megan Jones – 6.5
It was as typical a Meg Jones performance as you could get. The 29-year-old distributed the game in the middle of the field, defended strongly and, quite simply, did everything that was asked of her. The scorer’s second try in the second half, Jones was alert to help the Red Roses secure their 39th straight win in style.
12 Tatjana Heard – 7.5
In the first half, Tatjana Herd was the leading light of the Red Roses. Everything flowed through the 31-year-old center in the northwest. She showed versatility, whether it was with the ball in hand or showing off her passing range. It was one of those that kept the game in the lead until Abi Burton’s try in the 18th minute.
11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald – 5.5
Much like her wing-mate Venner, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald again provided a very solid option on the wing. Able to play link-ups and be a threat while carrying, the 30-year-old kept play alive when needed but was largely isolated on the left flank. She finished the match on a high when she finished the first attempt in the 78th minute.
10 Holly Aitchison – 7.5
If you’re going to celebrate your 50th title, you might as well do it with an all-out show. Holly Aitchison did it. Her ability to match defenders was key to Abi Burton’s try and her handballs opened up space for her forwards to attack. Apart from a few missed conversions, you can’t say that Aitchison put his foot wrong. Another fascinating twist in the story of her personal battle with Zoe Harrison for the starting shirt.
9 Natasha Hunt – 6.5
A pretty good return to Test rugby for Natasha Hunt. Australia’s game plan in the first half hinged on making life difficult for the 37-year-old. Which they did. Even so, Hunt’s experience kept things coherent for England, even if the Wallaroos were ahead at half-time.
1 Mackenzie Carson – 5.5
Pretty quiet day at the office for Mackenzie Carson. England as a whole struggled at set-pieces, particularly in the first half, and Carson did not dominate in scrum time. In all, the Gloucester Hartpury loosehead prop made three carries and made one metre.
May 2 Campbell – 6
It was May Campbell’s first start for England on her sixth cap. Before being substituted in the 48th minute, the 30-year-old was struggling to make an impact. Campbell’s lineout was what led to Faliki Pohiva’s try to eventually give the Wallaroos the lead at half-time. Despite this, the hooker ended her time on the field on a positive note with a try from the back of the line before being replaced by debutant Bryony Field.
3 Sarah Bern – 5.5
Not Sarah Byrne’s best day in England. A few months after the female Six Nations where she displayed all the attributes that made her world class, her 47 minutes in Salford were far more grueling. Bern had an extremely interesting battle with Faliki Pohiva, who at times did not get better before being sent off early in the second half.
4 Delaney Burns – 5
It seemed like experience was important in the first place. At least it certainly did in the first half. The partnership of Delaney Burns and Lilli Ives Campion had just 14 games compared to the 87 games that Kaitlyn Leaney and Michaela Leonard had. After a baptism of fire in the first 40 minutes, the England pack tightened things up and allowed the set-up to do a lot of the talking, which Burns was a part of.
5 Lilli Ives Campion – 5
Much like her compatriot in the engine room, Ives Campion did not enjoy the first 40 minutes. Loughborough Lightning in the second row were awarded a penalty which Samantha Wood kicked between the posts. It was on the line where the 22-year-old shined, where she regularly called herself.
6 Abi Burton – 8
Ever since he got the chance to start the minutes against England, Burton’s confidence has been high. Those years of honing their craft with England and Great Britain Sevens mean the back row has a good engine and has shown its power to score England’s first try. Her big break in the second half led directly to Mia Venner’s try. A really good afternoon finished off with the man of the match award.
7 Ready to work – 7
It’s almost like it’s from Žensko Rugby World Cup 2025 that Sadia Kabeya has added a lot of variety to her game. Last year, the loose forward was defensive feat of strengthbut a year later he seems to break up fights with ease and regularly challenges white. This silly approach led to her final pass for Burton’s score. This ability to stay in the fight and she scored a try with her last touch of the game before being replaced by Marlie Packer.
8 Maddie Feaunati – 7
Real performance No.8 by Maddie Feaunati. As the game progressed Exeter Chiefs the back row was getting bigger and bigger. She wasn’t the try scorer, but her nine carries for 31 meters went a long way in eventually breaking the Wallaroos’ resolve and keeping the good times rolling for the side Women’s Rugby World Cup champions.
Substitutions – 9
Arguably the most important players on the pitch for England. When England brought on replacement front-row trio Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir and Bryony Field, there was an instant impact. Suddenly the Red Roses dominated. Field was even transferred at the end of a well-constructed line. Elsewhere, Morwenna Talling made an impact on her international comeback. Lucy Packer and Zoe Harrison were also influential in the second 40, the latter scoring a handy try shortly after her introduction.
