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.”
Simon Middleton interview
How about England? Well Simon Middleton’s side aren’t particularly used to losing - as the man himself told me this week:
Back in Black
Conditions are rather different for this meeting between England and New Zealand than the last, which was in the baking hot late summer California desert two years ago at the Women’s Rugby Super Series. Fly-half Ruahei Demant made the point this week, though, that the Black Ferns are unfortunately rather used to going a while without games, but seeing how they adjust to Test rugby after so long without a fully-fledged international fixture will be fascinating.
100 up for the Black Ferns
It is a mark of the relative dearth of fixtures for New Zealand Women that it has taken them so long to make it, officially, to their 100th fixture. But this will be a proud day for Glenn Moore’s team, back in action for the first time in 26 months to take on the world number ones...
Red Roses arrive
It’s a little bit blustery at Sandy Park, but so far dry, unlike most of the rest of the country. The word on the street is that there may be some precipitation coming in a little while - and the Red Roses have arrived...
A late change for England
Some breaking team news from Sandy Park - England vice-captain Amber Reed has injured her hamstring. Lagi Tuima steps into the starting side at inside centre, with Sarah McKenna, usually a full-back but also useful centre cover, taking jersey number 23.
Poppy Cleall is promoted to vice-captain.
Sarah Hunter vows to do ‘talking on the field’
“They can say what they want about what game it is and what they want to do,” said Hunter. “We are just thinking about ourselves and what we want to do and what this series is about for us. We will probably go and do our talking on the field on Sunday rather than get drawn into maybe responding to some of their statements.”
Emily Scarratt on England’s future at 13
“I would love to see somebody come through and play really well in that shirt for the next four Tests,” Scarratt told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“If and when I’m back, I want serious competition and I want to have to fight to get it back. I don’t want things to be easy.
“It means we are going to be in the best possible place when we do go down to New Zealand and hopefully bring something pretty shiny back with us.”
England vs New Zealand: Confirmed line-ups
England Women: Hannah Botterman, Lark Davies, Sarah Bern; Poppy Cleall, Abbie Ward; Zoe Aldcroft, Marlie Packer, Sarah Hunter; Claudia MacDonald, Zoe Harrison; Abby Dow, Amber Reed, Holly Aitchison, Lydia Thompson, Ellie Kildunne.
Replacements: Amy Cokayne, Vickii Cornborough, Maud Muir, Harriet Millar-Mills, Alex Matthews; Leanne Infante, Helena Rowland, Lagi Tuima.
New Zealand Women: Pip Love, Te Kura Ngata- Aerengamate, Aleisha Pearl Nelson; Eloise Blackwell, Kelsie Willis; Alana Bremner, Les Elder, Dhys Faleafaga; Kendra Cocksedge, Ruahei Demant; Ayesha Leti-I’Iga, Chelsea Alley, Stacey Fluhler, Renee Wickliffe, Renee Holmes.
Replacements: Grace Houpapa-Barrett, Krystal Murray, Aldora Itunu, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Kennedy Simon; Ariana Bayler, Patricia Maliepo, Grace Brooker.
England and New Zealand players to take part in head impact study
The women‘s teams of England and New Zealand will wear instrumented mouthguards that record data in training and in two upcoming matches between the two sides as part of a head impact study, World Rugby said on Friday.
The devices contain an impact monitor data acquisition system that collects and transmits data every time there is a collision between players or players and the ground.
Every impact, including those that are not directly involving the head, will be recorded by the mouthguards and be matched to time-coded video for analysis.
The initiative is part of World Rugby’s six-point player welfare plan with a focus on head impact prevention, which was launched in July.
“It’s great for the Black Ferns to be involved, especially because it will help improve the knowledge around female rugby players. We’re also proud to be playing a role in improving the game and making it safer for everyone,” said New Zealand captain Les Elder.
The devices are developed by U.S.-based Prevent Biometrics, who have already been working with World Rugby and more than 700 grassroots players in New Zealand.
World Rugby chief medical officer Eanna Falvey said: “We are delighted that the top two ranked women‘s international teams have joined this landmark study... we will have data from well over 1,000 participants at every level of the game recorded via the same comparable technology, which is vital for comparison and accuracy purposes.”
England and New Zealand face each other at Exeter’s Sandy Park on Sunday before a second meeting a week later.
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