The Red Roses are marching on, but not without a few bumps and bruises along the way. England’s 47-7 victory over Australia in Brighton on September 6, 2025, not only secured top spot in Pool A but also equaled their own world record of 30 consecutive Test wins. Yet, dig a little deeper and this wasn’t quite the flawless performance many expected from the tournament favorites at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
On a sun-soaked afternoon at the Amex Stadium, with 30,443 spectators—including the Princess of Wales—England found themselves trailing for the first time in 536 minutes of rugby. Australia, under the guidance of former England captain Joanne Yapp, drew first blood. Hooker Adiana Talakai crashed over the line, and with the conversion, Australia led until the 32nd minute. That early try sent a jolt through the Red Roses and their fans, suggesting this would be no routine stroll.
England’s response came in the form of brute forward power. Jess Breach, celebrating her 50th cap, soon crossed for England’s opening try, but the real damage was done by the pack. Abbie Ward and Sadia Kabeya powered over from close range, turning the tide and giving England a 19-7 lead at halftime. Stand-in captain Alex Matthews, stepping in for the injured Zoe Aldcroft, anchored the squad with composure and was later named player of the match.
“That match was the challenge that everyone wanted us to have and we showed we can do it, perhaps we needed that,” Matthews reflected after the game. “Things were not functioning how they normally do but that was a real squad effort to get it done.” According to Matthews, patience and trust in each other proved crucial as England weathered Australia’s early storm.
The second half saw England’s forwards continue to dominate. Kabeya, named as one of the game’s outstanding performers, added her second try just minutes after the restart. “Yeah definitely, it was our toughest game so far. You can see in the first half we got put under pressure. But we needed it. A lot of things to work on and iron out. We have trust in the plan. We just went out there and did what we needed to do. We’ve got huge carriers across our forward pack. We’ve got threats across the park, our forwards can’t take all the credit!” Kabeya said, emphasizing both the challenge and the depth of England’s squad.
Kelsey Clifford, who replaced the injured Hannah Botterman in the front row, seized her moment with two tries in quick succession. Sarah Bern also crossed the line before receiving a yellow card for a high tackle, rounding out a dominant forward display. In total, England’s forwards accounted for six of the seven tries, underlining their physical edge.
Fly-half Zoe Harrison kept the scoreboard ticking with 12 points from the boot, adding stability as the game opened up. But the win came at a cost. World player of the year Ellie Kildunne, so influential in England’s earlier matches, was forced off in the second half after a head injury. Head coach John Mitchell confirmed after the match, “Ellie [Kildunne] will go through return-to-play protocols. There is normally a 12-day stand down. She is fine. She’ll be frustrated because she had a difficult day at the office. She’ll get better.”
Kildunne’s mandatory 12-day concussion stand-down means she will miss the highly anticipated quarter-final against Scotland in Bristol on September 14. The loss is a blow, but England’s depth offers hope. Helena Rowland, who replaced Kildunne, is no stranger to stepping up—she racked up 27 points in England’s previous win over Samoa. The Red Roses will also monitor Hannah Botterman’s back spasms, with Kelsey Clifford proving a more-than-capable deputy.
Mitchell admitted England’s display was far from perfect, noting, “We didn’t start well, we looked clunky and untidy but I still thought our defence was outstanding. We sold ourselves a bit short but we’ll go back and reflect for next week. I didn’t see the Scotland game but it’s great to take them on, we’ve a rich history and they’ve played really well in this tournament. We need to get away their edges and Scotland and Australia play quite similarly.”
Australia’s coach Jo Yapp, facing her old side, took pride in her team’s early efforts. “The first half we were very competitive and executed what we wanted to do but we let the scoreline get away from us in the second half, which was disappointing,” Yapp said. “Everybody is looking to beat England, they are number one team in the world for a reason. Our game management in that first 30 minutes was really good but we need to be able to do that for longer against Canada.” The Wallaroos, advancing as group runners-up, will now face Canada in their own quarter-final test at Ashton Gate.
Despite the lopsided final score, the stats paint a picture of a contest that was anything but one-sided for much of the opening half. England made 109 tackles to Australia’s 40 in the first 40 minutes, a testament to the Red Roses’ defensive steel and Australia’s early ambition. England’s line-outs wobbled, passes went astray, and discipline was at times lacking—Mitchell’s relentless focus on self-improvement will surely be tested in the coming days.
England’s unbeaten streak now stretches to a record-equalling 30 matches, an astonishing feat considering the pressure and expectation that follows the world’s top-ranked side. Their last defeat? That heartbreaker against New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 World Cup final. Since then, the Red Roses have steamrolled opponents, but this gritty win over Australia may prove more valuable than the earlier blowouts over the USA and Samoa.
With more than 400,000 tickets already sold for the tournament and prices starting at just £5 for children and £10 for adults, the Women’s Rugby World Cup is drawing record crowds and plenty of new fans. The Red Roses’ quest for the trophy continues, but the looming quarter-final clash with Scotland now carries extra intrigue. Can England’s depth and resilience overcome the loss of key stars? Or will Scotland, buoyed by their own strong tournament, spring a surprise?
For now, England’s journey rolls on to Bristol, where the next chapter awaits. The Red Roses have shown they can grind out a win when the going gets tough. As the stakes rise and the opposition stiffens, those hard-earned lessons in Brighton may prove to be their most valuable asset yet.
