Head 2 Head: England's record vs Samoa - Women's Rugby World Cup

The Red Roses are out to secure back-to-back wins for their Women's Rugby World Cup pool stage campaign, after dropping the hammer upon the USA in the tournament's opening match. England were at the revered best in the one-sided win over the Eagles, with an 11-try riot racking up a staggering 69-7 score-line against Ilona Maher and co at the Stadium of Light.

Samoa endured a similarly brutal battering to start their competition, as Australia scored 11 tries of their own, yet sharper shooting accrued a stunning 73-0 margin of victory for the Wallaroos. Current form and historical meetings would dictate a one-sided win in England's favour to be served up at Franklin's Gardens this evening.

However, no match is ever won on paper, with Samoa out to upset the odds against a heavily rotated England side that has undergone 13 changes from the opening round win. The action gets underway across the East Midlands with this afternoon's 5pm kick off, with England out for their third consecutive win over Samoa in a 20-year history on the pitch.

Whilst the records of England's first ever meeting with Samoa down in New Zealand back in 2005 are few and far-between, England's 65–3 victory over Samoa in the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup in Marcoussis, France, has settled nicely into the history books. The match was marred by a red card to Samoa's full-back, Soteria Pulumu, in the 12th minute for a dangerous tackle. With the Pacific Islanders reduced down to 14 players, England capitalized on their numerical advantage and bagged 10 tries in the one-sided victory.

Winger Katherine Merchant led the scoring with two early tries, while Red Roses stalwarts like Lydia Thompson, Natasha Hunt, and Kay Wilson also touched down for their respective braces. La Toya Mason and Emily Scarratt both also added their own tries, with Scaz's sharpshooting on display with six conversions and a well-struck penalty. Samoa's sole points in this match came from fly half Bella Milo's penalty in the 74th minute, to prevent being nilled by the soon to be World Champions.