England Crushes Samoa and Sets New Records at the Women’s Rugby World Cup
In a historic encounter in Northampton, England demonstrated its supremacy by defeating Samoa with a score of 92-3 in the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The match, which took place on Saturday, not only consolidated England’s position as a favorite, but also broke multiple records.
The “Red Roses”, as the English team is known, crushed Samoa, scoring 14 tries, including a hat-trick by Jess Breach, before an audience of 13,615 spectators at Franklin’s Gardens. The final result surpassed England’s previous World Cup record, which was an 82-0 victory over Kazakhstan in 2010, and also exceeded their previous points scored record, set in their 84-19 triumph over Fiji in 2022.
Helena Rowland was key in the victory, converting 11 of England’s 14 tries and scoring a try herself, which allowed her to accumulate 27 points. This figure placed her above the record for points scored by an English player in a Women’s World Cup match, surpassing Sue Day’s 25 points (against Italy in 2002) and Nicky Crawford’s (against Sweden in 1998).Jess Breach’s speed on the wing was an insurmountable challenge for Samoa.
The match was marked by the clear superiority of England, who faced a Samoan team composed mostly of amateur players, some of whom even had to take unpaid leave from their jobs to participate in the World Cup. The “Red Roses”, with professional contracts and the pressure of being the tournament favorites, faced a Samoan team that, despite being aware of their “underdog” status, promised to give their best.
Samoa’s approach to the week was “Mission: Impossible”, and although they showed effort and physicality, they couldn’t stop the “Red Roses”, who presented 13 changes from their initial 69-7 victory against the United States the previous Friday. With regular captain Zoe Aldcroft out for the rest of the group stage, Maggie Packer led England from the open side, with Breach and Megan Jones as the only starters who repeated from the team that played against the United States in Sunderland. Jones once again stood out in the outside center, and the half-back combination of Lucy Packer and Helena Rowland dismantled the Samoan defense. Breach, for her part, achieved a well-deserved hat-trick of scores after being a constant threat.
The first half unfolded as planned. England scored within three minutes, with Jones scoring after a pass from Kelsey Clifford. Samoa, although showing a lot of physicality in defense, failed to make progress in attack, despite a failed attempt at an innovative play in the lineout. The English advantage quickly widened, with Breach scoring the second try and, before the first quarter, Sarah Bern and Jones had already scored, securing the bonus point for England.
The “Red Roses” forwards destroyed Samoa’s scrum, allowing Feaunati to score in the 23rd minute. The weather conditions didn’t help either team, but England scored twice more before halftime, thanks to Lark Atkin-Davies and Lucy Packer. Although Samoa finished the first half with good momentum, they failed to score, despite the passionate support of their fans in the stands.
The biggest celebration was the one that followed Samoa’s penalty just after the break. After losing their first match 73-0 against Australia, Harmony Vatau scored Samoa’s first points in the World Cup with a penalty from 32 meters. The players went to the fans, delighted, and shortly after the support stood up again after a knock-on by Emma Sing in the English field. However, England quickly regained control, with Clifford scoring near the line to surpass 50 points.Harmony Vatau’s penalty scored Samoa’s first points in their World Cup campaign.
Breach scored his second try, and after the changes made by England, Mackenzie Carson scored the tenth try. Breach and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald continued to advance, but Rowland was next to score, reaching 25 personal points. England emptied the bench, but continued scoring, with Marley Packer scoring in the 70th minute and Breach achieving his third try in the 74th minute. Moloney-Macdonald sealed the victory in the last play of the match, and Rowland converted to secure a place in the record books of the “Red Roses”. For Samoa, the defeat means the end of their World Cup in the group stage, while England, with two wins out of two, already has their sights set on the knockout stage, before facing Australia in Brighton next Saturday.
