England player ratings vs Australia: Red Roses win again

The Red Roses were made to work by a physical Wallaroos side, but their quality eventually told as they pulled clear to secure an impressive opening-round victory.

There were some standout individual performances as England showed flashes of their attacking best, while their powerful pack once again laid the foundations.

Here are our England player ratings vs Australia following their 48-15 victory in the opening round of WXV.

Like in that group stage game in Brighton in the World Cup last years, Australia struck first. However, unlike in Brighton, the points came through scrum half Samantha Wood’s right boot, capitalising on England’s ill-discipline at the breakdown to give the Wallaroos a 0-3 lead after five minutes.

England started mounting the pressure on the Australian tryline and thought they opened their account for the afternoon through skipper Meg Jones. However, Tatyana Heard was caught offside by the TMO and the try was chalked off.

England pressure continued to grow, as did Wood’s involvement in the game as the scrum half was sent to the sin bin at the 13 minute mark for a deliberate knock on halting England’s momentum. England’s try came just before the 20^th minute. Neat offloading play in the midfield allowed the ball to end up in the hands of Holly Aitchison on her 50th cap who put her foot down before feeding Sadia Kabeya in the wide channel, who then found Abi Burton to dot down for the game’s opening try. Aitchison missed the kick leaving the score at 5-3 to John Mitchell’s side.

Going back to the full contingent, it was Australia’s turn to have a try chalked out by the TMO, as an infringement at the maul caused Brittany Merlo’s effort to be ruled out. The Aussies did get their try with eight minutes left of the first half as a kick into the corner off English ill-discipline gave the Wallaroos the field position to pounce. Tighthead Faliki Paliva bulldozed her way over from close range to regain Australia’s lead. Wood slotted the extras to give the Wallaroos their highest points tally ever against England and a 5-10 lead.

Despite camping on the Australia line for the remainder of the first half, England couldn’t break the yellow wall that was the Australian defensive line keeping the score at 5-10 in favour of the visitors. England started the second half with the more promise out of the two side; and it only took seven minutes for the Red Roses to cross the line. A well worked driving maul from the forwards allowed for May Campbell at the back of the maul to score. Aitchison added the extras to regain the lead.

England started to turn the screw as only four minutes later, Aitchison threaded a delicate grubber which Jones pounced on to score. Aitchison’s effort sailed wide leaving England with a seven point lead. Securing the bonus point only two minutes after, another well manufactured maul allowed for Bryony Field to cross over the white line on debut. Aitchison’s effort again sailed wide.

England’s dominance started to show as a break from Burton gave England the field position to pounce. After working the short side, the balled travelled coast to coast before landing in Zoe Harrison’s hands who floated a ball over the top to Mia Venner who walked in the corner. Harrison’s effort narrowly missed leaving the Roses leading 27-10. Additionally, with maul judged to have been collapsed illegally, Eva Karapani was sent to the sin bin

The England juggernaut rampaged on as the game hit the hour mark with Lilli Ives-Campion making the break deep into Australian territory, before ill-discipline rewarded England the opportunity for Harrison to put England in the corner. The maul was brought down just as England were about to cross the line. It was Sadia Kebeya who dotted down for England. Harrison added the extras to increase the England lead.

With the game entering its latter stages, the onslaught continued as Lucy Packer crossed over from close range after flyhacking on some sloppy Australian possession. The replacement scrum half dived over from close range to extend England’s lead. Harrison’s conversion took England over the 40 point mark.

Karapani rectified her earlier sinbinning as the tighthead managed to guide a well-orchestrated maul over the line for Australia’s second of the game and first points of the game. Wood missed the extras leaving score at 41-15 in favour of the hosts. England got the last laugh as a well-executed move off the training ground found Claudia Moloney-MacDonald in acres of space, and doing what all good wingers do managed to finish from 20 metres out. Harrison added the conversion taking the score to England 48 Australia 15.

The England performance had definite polar opposites as head coach John Mitchell alluded to after the game: “The typical preseason test match where the game was too static, we probably contributed to that in the first half but we solve that in the second half.”

Mitchell also further praises his bench bringing the impact that he desired and more to cause a 43 point turnaround which included the likes of Maud Muir, Hannah Botterman and on debut Bryony Field.

Captain Meg Jones opened up about the topsy-turvy nature of the game being a “standard game of rugby.” But the side has to brush up on things being 5-10 down at half time. However, for Jones, “nothing gives better feedback than a match.”

Mitchell was extremely positive about the Manchester crowd as it was the first time that the Red Roses had played in the city. “The way that the girls were treated with their walk was unbelievable.”