Photo via BBC Sport

'Absolute joke' to be worried - Mitchell on England's half-time deficit

England kicked off their WXV Global Series schedule and extended an ongoing winning streak to 39 matches with a 48-15 triumph against Australia in Salford. Playing before 9,251 spectators at CorpAcq Stadium, the world champions trailed 10-5 at the break following an uncharacteristic opening half where Faliki Pohiva crossed for the Wallaroos and Samantha Wood added five points off the tee, counterbalanced solely by a score from match standout Abi Burton.

The five-point deficit marked the first time since 2020 that the Red Roses trailed after 40 minutes, but head coach John Mitchell brushed off concerns by calling any worry ridiculous and treating the outing as a vital pre-season problem-solving exercise. His side responded with a blistering 43-point second period, securing seven subsequent tries through May Campbell, skipper Meg Jones, Bryony Field, Mia Venner, Sadia Kabeya, Lucy Packer, and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, while Asoiva Karpani grabbed a consolation score for Australia.

5 rugby ball that fly-half Zoe Harrison had previously criticized strongly in May, the match launched a tournament intended to provide tier-one preparation across 2026 to 2028 ahead of the 2029 World Cup in Australia. England, who arrived fresh off securing their eighth consecutive Women's Six Nations title earlier this year alongside prior WXV1 championships in 2023 and 2024, utilized 23 players ahead of an upcoming showdown with Canada at Sandy Park and a subsequent fixture against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium on 26 September.