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Red Roses deliver against world champions – but biggest test comes in a year

sarah mockford
·21-min read
Abby Dow scores
Abby Dow scores her first-half try against New Zealand - Getty Images/David Rogers

England 24 New Zealand 12

It comes to something when a comfortable triumph over the world champions brings a dash of frustration, but that is where England find themselves – at the summit striving to sustain their own standards.

Bitty performances are commonplace in pre-season and the Red Roses will not lose sight of the wider perspective: that they were preparing to defend their WXV title in a glorified friendly.

Even so, they will also know that they could have been more precise and clinical in front of more than 40,000 supporters here. John Mitchell, the England head coach, had no doubt over the day’s major lesson: “When you’ve got your foot on the throat, finish it.”

In truth, we will not be able to judge these Red Roses until next year when they host the World Cup and bid to avenge their gut-wrenching loss at Eden Park two years ago, when the Black Ferns beat them 34-31. That victory, sealed by a spectacular line-out steal from Joanah Ngan-Woo, extended New Zealand’s record against England at World Cups to six wins from six meetings. This is the crux for Mitchell and co.

They are the outstanding team in the women’s game right now, but peaking too early would be heartbreaking. The expectation to succeed at the next World Cup will be quite something; oppressive if it is not channelled well.

Back in 2021, England piled up 99 points across two autumn internationals against the Black Ferns in Exeter and Northampton. Two thumping victories that autumn did not help them get over the hump and oust New Zealand, who had been fortified by sevens stars and the coaching of Wayne Smith, when it really counted 12 months later.

Ultimately, four tries proved enough this time to hold off New Zealand, who moved the ball with ambition and gave their hosts a thorough work-out in warm sunshine. Abby Dow was among England’s best, tearing off her wing to make tenacious defensive interventions and surging down the touchline for the most eye-catching score of the afternoon. She is a tremendous athlete, explosive and well balanced.

The returning Abbie Ward was industrious and resourceful. Alex Matthews, a model of consistency, also excelled in the back row. It was her jackal that forced the penalty to set up the Red Roses’ first try. That arrived on the back of a rather subdued first quarter in which Ayesha Leti I’iga, New Zealand’s right wing, showcased her considerable talents. It took a fantastic cover tackle from Jess Breach to prevent New Zealand from going ahead.

A while later, England kicked to the corner and Marlie Packer benefited from a trusty maul to dot down. Dow and Ellie Kildunne, the latter jinking past defenders, promptly opened up a 17-0 half-time lead that was improved to 24-0 by Natasha Hunt’s snipe early in the second period. A yellow card for Zoe Aldcroft following a high tackle on Leti I’iga was dealt with impressively by England.

During the last half-hour, though, they failed to maintain impetus and the contest drifted. Katelyn Vahaakolo rewarded the Black Ferns’ perseverance and dynamism with a double. Both Kennedy Tukuafu, the Black Ferns co-captain, and coach Allan Bunting rued an inability to convert early pressure into points. Leti I’iga was heralded as “lethal” and, perhaps ominously, Bunting explained that the experience of an “amazing atmosphere” would only stand his charges in good stead. Twickenham will, after all, stage the final of the 2025 World Cup. Another Anglo-Kiwi affair would not be a surprise.

Winning with aspects to work on is no bad place to be, of course. That said, Mitchell’s side now fly to Canada for WXV knowing that they are capable of far more convincing displays.

Out in Canada, England face the United States and the Black Ferns again before a Vancouver showdown against the host nation. Canada beat New Zealand earlier this year in the Pacific Four Series, and are sure to pose a challenge.

Amy Cokayne and Maddie Feaunati withdrew during the second period and will receive medical attention. As for other selection quandaries, an intriguing call lies at outside centre. Emily Scarratt was solid enough on the occasion of her 100th Test start, though Helena Rowland added verve from the bench.

One passage close to the hour mark crystalised England’s afternoon. Their replacement front row of Hannah Botterman, Cokayne and Maud Muir caused the New Zealand scrum to disintegrate against the put-in and won a penalty in decisive fashion. The ensuing kick to touch, however, sailed beyond the try-line. Accuracy fell off when there was scope to be ruthless.

“We had an opportunity to finish them and didn’t quite finish them,” added Mitchell, who was irritated by penalties England conceded. “We probably could have buried them when we got the scrum tighthead and went to the corner.

“It’s exactly what we wanted, to get lessons at this time of year. There was always going to be a bit of rust. You can’t be too hard on the girls, but they’re hard markers. Before the last World Cup, we didn’t get those lessons.”

England v New Zealand: As it happened

04:27 PM BST

Player of the Match Alex Matthews

It’s never a friendly in Test-match rugby. We want to keep building into the World Cup next year and keep concentrating on our own performances and keep improving. We look at our work-ons and where we’re growing, where we can grow the gap.

04:24 PM BST

FULL-TIME: England 24 New Zealand 12

The second half didn’t quite have the same energy as the first, the stop-start nature sapping a lot of the game’s momentum. The Black Ferns hinted at a comeback midway through but in the end didn’t get close to overcoming the Red Roses.

England will be pleased with the result, particularly given how much they were tested by the visitors.

These two teams meet again at WXV in three weeks’ time – and perhaps in next year’s World Cup final at this same stadium...

04:19 PM BST

77 mins: England 24 New Zealand 12

Alex Matthews named Player of the Match.

She can do the flash stuff but it is the nitty-gritty that she truly excels at, with her defence at Twickenham this afternoon exceptional. “Phenomenal” is how former England fly-half describes her performance.

Part of the 2014 World Cup-winning squad, will Matthews be part of the team who lift the trophy in a year’s time?

04:12 PM BST

72 mins: England 24 New Zealand 12

Lark Atkin-Davies comes back on to replace hooker Cokayne, who is struggling badly with an elbow injury.

04:08 PM BST

69 mins: England 24 New Zealand 12

Georgia Brock is on to make her England debut in the back row, replacing captain Marlie Packer.

And the attendance is confirmed as 41,523.

04:04 PM BST

67 mins: England 24 New Zealand 12

Amy Cokayne busts the line in midfield after a brilliant Heard pass and then finds Helena Rowland, who bursts downfield before being tackled by Demant 10 metres from the line.

03:56 PM BST

TRY FOR NEW ZEALAND! England 24 New Zealand 12

Vahaakolo has her second try. New Zealand stretch England to the right and then they switch play all the way to the left, with Ruby Tui putting Vahaakolo over in the corner. This time Holmes gets the conversion.

03:54 PM BST

59 mins: England 24 New Zealand 5

Huge scrum for Red Roses. New front row of Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir making a big impact.

Aitchison kicks the subsequent penalty dead, though, and then New Zealand opt for another scrum. Interesting call but this time the Black Ferns get the penalty.

03:51 PM BST

England letting game drift

Conceding that try will really disappoint England. They have let this second half drift a bit, when there has been scope to pile on the points. Maddie Feaunati limping off is a blow as well. With Sadia Kabeya already out of WXV, their back-row resources could be stretched even further.

03:48 PM BST

TRY FOR NEW ZEALAND! England 24 New Zealand 5

A lot of talk about Leti-I’iga this match but it is the other wing, Katelyn Vahaakolo, who scores New Zealand’s first try.

The bounce of the ball falls better for New Zealand than Scarratt and Vahaakolo then gets past Aitchison to run down the wing and over the line. Renee Holmes misses the conversion.

Katelyn Vahaakolo try
Katelyn Vahaakolo breaks to score her first try - Getty Images

03:42 PM BST

49 mins: England 24 New Zealand 0

TMO called in after Aitchison kicks ball behind New Zealand defence. Did Brunt or Kildunne ground the ball first?

No try – Brunt grounded the ball so it’s a goal-line drop-out.

03:40 PM BST

47 mins: England 24 New Zealand 0

Aldcroft is back on – England won the period she was off the field 7-0.

03:35 PM BST

45 mins: England 24 New Zealand 0

Short delay for an injury so here’s a look at Kildunne’s try in the first half...

03:33 PM BST

TRY FOR ENGLAND! England 24 New Zealand 0

Perfect start to the second half from England.

Alex Matthews – excellent throughout this match so far – breaks off the back of the scrum, then good recycling takes the Red Roses to five metres from the Black Ferns line.

Natasha Hunt then snipes around the fringe of a ruck and stretches to get the ball down on the line by the post. Aitchison converts.

All that while down to 14 players with Aldcroft still in the bin.

03:30 PM BST

Second half underway

Teams are back out for the second half and the Red Roses get a scrum early doors following a Black Ferns knock-on.

03:18 PM BST

England have had to dig in

This is shaping up to be a highly satisfactory workout for England. They have needed to dig in defensively, because the Black Ferns enjoyed the better of the opening quarter and the hosts were finding fluency difficult to come by. Thereafter, though, Mitchell’s team have looked more assured and have deserved their three tries.

Even that little passage at the end, when they successfully repelled a close-range New Zealand maul while down to 14 players, will have inspired confidence. Alex Matthews and Abby Dow have been particularly eye-catching for England, with Ayesha Leti I’iga superb for the visitors.

03:17 PM BST

HALF-TIME: England 17 New Zealand 0

A rather drab way to end an enthralling first 40 minutes – several scrum resets before the half-time whistle is blown after New Zealand launch one last attack but the ball rolls dead.

The Black Ferns have certainly had chances but their execution has let them down so far and the hosts’ defence has kept them out. The Red Roses have been clinical when presented with opportunities, given them a decent lead going into the second half.

03:12 PM BST

YELLOW CARD FOR ENGLAND. England 17 New Zealand 0

Another break from Leti-I’iga and this time the tackle from Zoe Aldcroft is deemed dangerous by the referee, so she is sent to the sin-bin in the last minute of the first half.

New Zealand set their own driving maul from the subsequent line-out but concede a penalty and England are able to clear their lines.

03:09 PM BST

TRY FOR ENGLAND! England 17 New Zealand 0

Emily Scarratt puts the pressure on with a break through the middle and England build again with a driving line-out. Then the ball is given to Ellie Kildunne, who jinks her way around a couple of defenders then contorts her body to touch the ball down on the line by the post. It is goes to the TMO and try stands.

Ellie Kildunne scores
Ellie Kildunne goes over next to the post for England’s third try - Getty Images/David Rogers

Aitchison makes no mistake with the conversion from in front of the posts this time.

03:02 PM BST

TRY FOR ENGLAND! England 10 New Zealand 0

Dow scores England’s second try! She has been a huge threat so far in this game and when Tatyana Head fires a miss-pass out wide, Dow has the skills to work her way over in the corner.

Aitchison was too slow with the conversion, though, the shot clock ticking down before she has taken the kick.

03:00 PM BST

30 mins: England 5 New Zealand 0

New Zealand not lacking in creativity with ball in hand but their accuracy has let them down so far, with a fair few dropped passes. Sylvia Brunt the latest to spill it then – if she had kept hold of the ball she was cutting a brilliant line.

02:57 PM BST

27 mins: England 5 New Zealand 0

The Abbies are standing out! First Abbie Ward steals a line-out in her team’s 22 and then Abby Dow makes a brilliant break down the wing, even leaping over a defender at one point.

02:51 PM BST

It had to be a maul

It had to be a maul. That is quite fitting, and a bit funny. These two teams have presented a clash of styles for the past few years – never more starkly than in the most recent World Cup final – with England’s set-piece muscle pitted against the flow of New Zealand’s attack. Despite the Black Ferns making most of the early running, a drive has taken the hosts ahead.

02:49 PM BST

TRY FOR ENGLAND! England 5 New Zealand 0

Sarah Bern doing what she does best – breaking through the middle of the pitch. Natasha Hunt then sets up a line-out in New Zealand’s 22 and when the Red Roses win a penalty, they go for a five-metre line-out.

Here comes that famous maul! And they get the first try of the game, with Marlie Packer touching down from that powerful drive. Just like in the 2022 World Cup final, the Black Ferns cannot stop it.

Aitchison fails with the conversion from out wide.

02:43 PM BST

Leti I’iga is a real handful

What a wild, disjointed and thoroughly enjoyable passage that was! Ayesha Leti I’iga is a real handful out wide, so well-balanced and deceptively powerful. New Zealand have been impressive overall over the opening 10 minutes. They look more comfortable and more cohesive than England in possession. Kennedy Tukuafu, the openside flanker, is a real nuisance around the contact area as well. England yet to get going.

02:42 PM BST

12 mins: England 0 New Zealand 0

Maia Joseph puts Leti-I’iga into space again with a cross-field kick and this time it is Ellie Kildunne with the tackle and the Black Fern knocks on. Red Roses have a scrum in their own 22 and Alex Matthews sets things up well for an Aitchison clearance.

02:39 PM BST

9 mins: England 0 New Zealand 0

Brilliant tackle by Jess Breach as Ayesha Leti-I’iga breaks down the wing. The Black Fern is a huge threat out wide and she was in space there – it would have been a try but for Breach’s cover tackle.

02:35 PM BST

6 mins: England 0 New Zealand 0

Black Ferns concede a free-kick at a line-out. Referee warned them not to move before the ball was thrown in, they infringed again and Holly Aitchison boots the ball down field.

02:33 PM BST

2 mins: England 0 New Zealand 0

Big tackle by Abby Dow in the first minute to keep Black Ferns in their own half. Then Ruahei Demant does the same when Red Roses have possession, causing a knock-on that leads to game’s first scrum.

02:29 PM BST

Big day for Feaunati

Loaded close-up of Maddie Feaunati there during the anthems, as she was singing God Save the King. John Mitchell said in the week that he was confident that the back-rower, who could quite easily have been lining up for the Black Ferns against England, would be able to cope with the emotion of the occasion.

02:28 PM BST

Time for kick-off!

The anthems are followed by the Black Ferns’ haka, led by co-captain Ruahei Demant. Twickenham falls silent and then there is a roar as the teams prepare for kick-off.

02:22 PM BST

Scruffy run-through

There has been a big focus on conditioning during this pre-season for England and the run-through was slightly scruffy, it must be said. A few balls went down and some running lines seem a bit off. That could mean absolutely nothing when the game starts, of course.

Both teams are back in the changing rooms now, with kick-off 10 minutes away. Good volume as the England team is read out over the loudspeakers. Biggest cheer? Probably Ellie Kildunne, with Marlie Packer and Emily Scarratt, on the occasion of her 100th England start, next.

02:17 PM BST

The power of Abby Dow

England’s backs are going through some one-on-one tackling drills and Abby Dow has just melted Tatyana Heard, which is no easy task. Pound for pound, Dow must be one of the most powerful athletes in this squad. And the selection battle amongst the backs is going to be seriously interesting over the coming year. One would think that some excellent players will miss out on that final World Cup squad.

02:11 PM BST

Name game

We may be less than a year out from a Women’s Rugby World Cup on English soil but new research published by the Women’s Sport Trust has found that 63 per cent of rugby union fans are still unable to name a player in the England women’s team. Matches like this should help close the gender awareness gap – and it needs to close if organisers are to achieve their goal of selling out Twickenham for the 2025 final.

02:06 PM BST

England could deliver a statement

We have a gorgeous September afternoon here, with a slight breeze off-setting bright sunshine. As for the game, it is a tricky one to gauge. There are about 40,000 fans expected at Allianz Stadium – the artist formerly known as ‘Twickenham’ – and, frankly, England should win what is a glorified pre-season friendly.

John Mitchell’s side is settled and strong, aiming to build on a Six Nations Grand Slam campaign, whereas the Black Ferns are missing several familiar faces. The teams are preparing for WXV1 in Canada later this month, but next year’s World Cup is now less than 12 months away. 

Given the final of that tournament is at this venue, England could deliver something of a statement. Then again, their World Cup record against the Black Ferns is played six, lost six. When it comes to the real thing, they will face a significant psychological hurdle.

Fans at Twickenham
Fans at Twickenham, which is now called Allianz Stadium - Getty Images/Bob Bradford

02:00 PM BST

A royal hug

It is also a big day for Ayesha Leti-I’iga, who is playing her first Test since the Rugby World Cup final in 2022 after suffering an ACL injury last year. The winger made headlines around the world this week after instigating a hug with King Charles when the Black Ferns visited Buckingham Palace.

01:56 PM BST

Landmark start

This match will be Emily Scarratt’s 113th cap and, significantly, her 100th Test start. She is the fifth England player to reach the century of starts milestone, after Rochelle Clark, Sarah Hunter, Jason Leonard and Owen Farrell, and she has spoken this week about how growing up on a farm has helped her deal with sport’s highs and lows.

Emily Scarratt's shirt
Emily Scarratt's shirt

01:51 PM BST

Warm welcome for the Red Roses

01:45 PM BST

New Zealand XV this afternoon

Renee Holmes; Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Logo-i-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i (Sylvia) Brunt, Ruahei Demant (co-captain), Katelyn Vahaakolo; Hannah King, Maia Joseph; Chryss Viliko, Georgia Ponsonby, Tanya Kalounivale, Alana Bremner, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Kennedy Tukuafu (co-captain), Kaipo Olsen-Baker.

Replacements: Atlanta Lolohea, Kate Henwood, Amy Rule, Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu, Layla Sae, Iritana Hohaia, Amy du Plessis, Ruby Tui.

01:45 PM BST

England XV this afternoon

Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Emily Scarratt, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Holly Aitchison, Natasha Hunt; Mackenzie Carson, Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, Zoe Aldcroft, Abbie Ward, Maddie Feaunati, Marlie Packer (captain), Alex Matthews

Replacements: Amy Cokayne, Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir, Morwenna Talling, Georgia Brock, Lucy Packer, Zoe Harrison, Helena Rowland.

01:38 PM BST

The biggest rivalry in women’s rugby.

This afternoon’s match at Twickenham – the first to be played at the home of English rugby since it has been rebranded Allianz Stadium – is a warm-up for the WXV1 tournament taking place in Canada in a couple of weeks, but these two teams will undoubtedly be going full pelt. After all, it is the world’s No 1 side against the world champions in front of a crowd of more than 40,000 people.

It is the first meeting between the two teams at Twickenham since 2012, when England won 32-23 to wrap up a 3-0 series win. Three Red Roses players who started that match are also in the line-up today – Emily Scarratt, Natasha Hunt and Marlie Packer – but it will be a new experience for this Black Ferns squad, who have just 251 caps in their first XV compared to England’s 802.

New Zealand are something of an unknown quantity this season, dominating most games but, significantly, losing to Canada in the Pacific Four Series. England may be the world’s form team, winning a sixth straight Six Nations title earlier this year and winning 46 of their last 47 Test matches, but the last team to beat them was, of course, the Black Ferns in the 2022 World Cup final. Packer’s team did avenge that defeat somewhat by winning 33-12 in last year’s WXV in Auckland but all eyes are now turning to the 2025 World Cup, the final of which will be played in the same venue as today’s Test.

New Zealand have an incredible record in the global showpiece, winning six of the nine tournaments to date, but England are desperate to lift the trophy again on home soil – and the build-up starts now.

The two sides are taking rather different approaches. Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting has said he wants his team “to play with freedom” and “enjoy the occasion” while England head coach John Mitchell has talked about staying “focused” on “processes”.

Over the next two hours we will see which one is more effective – and who lands the early psychological blow ahead of the World Cup.