England vs New Zealand LIVE: Final score, result and latest reaction as Red Roses run riot
Simon Middleton’s side overpowered the Black Ferns in a record-breaking victory to lay down a marker ahead of next week’s Test as the teams run it back
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Your support makes all the difference.England ran riot to clinch a record victory over New Zealand in the first of two colossal Test matches between the sides.
Simon Harrison’s outfit thrived behind Zoe Harrison’s excellent disply as the No 1 ranked side in the world outclassed the world champions.
Tries from Abbie Ward (2), Ellie Kildunne, Lark Davies, Holly Aitchison, Abbie Dow and Harrison added to the Black Ferns’ misery.
Aitchison was filling in for the injured Emily Scarratt, making an impressive debut after starring at the Olympics in sevens.
“We’ve got them next week as well. We can’t get complacent. We need to look what we can do better for next week,” Harrison told BBC Sport.
“Today we were really looking at ourselves. Even in the Six Nations we’ve been looking towards the World Cup.”
While Emily Scarratt insists the victory will make next week’s contest even more intriguing: “Unbelievable. You could see that England really wanted to come out here and make a point. The Black Ferns were undercooked, it’s their first game back in a long time. It’s going to be a cracker next week.”
England 29-7 New Zealand, 68 minutes
Sandy Park oohs as Lydia Thompson lays the hammer down on Les Elder as she explores a rather uncomfortably blocked passageway down the Worcester winger’s touchline. Defence has become a real strength of Thompson’s game and Ayesha Leti-I’iga’s better moments today have tended to come when she has involved herself elsewhere.
A New Zealand knock-on allows England to replace Poppy Cleall with Harriet Millar-Mills.
England 29-7 New Zealand, 66 minutes
Two penalties later and New Zealand are back in that right corner, trying their best to drive for the line with close-in carriers.
And now they maul! England stand the carrier up and in the bodies pile like piranhas on fallen flesh, England first nudging forward and then driven back, but with the ball very much engulfed in the centre of it, even as it crosses the line there is little to concern the Red Roses. It reaches an inevitable conclusion - held up in goal, and a goal line drop out.
England 29-7 New Zealand, 63 minutes
New Zealand’s day goes from bad to worse as Chelsea Alley takes one slap bang in the forehead as a teammate’s whipped pass finds only the short passage into the centre’s dome. England were offside, so a reprieve, and New Zealand, getting desparate, go for the corner.
TRY! ENGLAND 29-7 New Zealand (Holly Aitchison try, 62 minutes)
She’s going for the line! A try on debut for the Olympic sevens star!
Claudia MacDonald had drawn up the Black Ferns line with a ponderous exploration across the face, offloading to Ellie Kildunne inserting herself. The full-back puts her former England Sevens teammate through a great gaping chasm, and Aitchison has plenty of toe to beat the chasers to score a deserved debut try.
England 24-7 New Zealand, 60 minutes
No maul on this occasion so England play slightly wider, one-out runners favoured to try and drag in the New Zealand defence. It works, but Zoe Harrison’s spreading pass isn’t quite right, drifting into oopen grass and bouncing into Black Ferns hands.
New Zealand kick long to Harrison, who sets Abby Dow off on a ramble, and the flying wing nearly scythes around the outside of the New Zealand defence on her own. Back infield, and where is Holly Aitchison going!
England 24-7 New Zealand, 59 minutes
A minute or so later and here come two more English replacements, again both up front. Alex Matthews takes the place of Marlie Packer and leading the openside off is Sarah Bern - which means it is time for a debut for Wasps’ young tighthead Maud Muir, who arrives with plenty of excitement.
How about that for a start! England’s replacement front row munch their opposites to win a scrum penalty, which is sent for the corner.
England 24-7 New Zealand, 58 minutes
Davies has become such a prolific scorer. She’s locked in a real battle for the starting hooker’s shirt with Amy Cokayne - indeed, here comes the Harlequin, with Davies taking leave after another tidy day of work.
It’s also hello to Vickii Cornborough, who replaces Hannah Botterman.
TRY! ENGLAND 24-7 New Zealand (Lark Davies try, 57 minutes)
Third time lucky for England!
Lark Davies is the buried beneficiary of her forwards might, New Zealand again sent into retreat as England drive strongly and Davies, as she so often does, sniffs out the line from the back.
Zoe Harrison converts.
England 17-7 New Zealand, 55 minutes
Hang on - the referee is checking something! Two phases after it appeared that Hannah Botterman had knocked on but it seems a stray Black Ferns hand may have caused the error. Yes, it has. A deliberate knock on and England will try their mauling luck in the right-hand corner...
England 17-7 New Zealand, 54 minutes
Away charges Zoe Aldcroft! A gaping hole in midfield and the long-legged blindside absolutely canters through it, with support from Zoe Harrison and Hannah Botterman. Aldcroft feeds the former, who can’t quite combine with the latter, but ther is space on the right...
Knocked on! England lose their grip on the ball just short of the New Zealand line after Ellie Kildunne had been brought down five metres out. A slightly errant pass from Claudia MacDonald and Aldcroft can’t gather, much to Sandy Park’s disapproval.
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