England’s Red Roses piled on 55 points against a gritty United States squad in New Jersey, but don’t let that final score fool you: this dominant win for England does *not* erase the questions swirling around their spot at the top of women’s rugby. Yeah, they got back to winning ways after two brutal losses to Canada, but this WXV Global Series finale left head coach John Mitchell with a whole lot to think about before their Women’s Six Nations title defense kicks off in April.
Moloney-MacDonald Went Off, But The Doubts Are Still There
From the jump, England looked like they were on a mission to put points on the board. Wing Claudia Moloney-MacDonald was an absolute wrecking ball, crossing the line twice in the first 12 minutes alone. Her second try came after a sweet, looping mis-pass from fly-half Holly Aitchison, who was a definite positive for England’s play-making all night. Moloney-MacDonald didn’t stop there, either. She bagged her third and fourth scores right after the restart, pushing England’s lead to a full 20 points and basically putting the outcome out of doubt. England ultimately had nine tries total, with Jones, Venner, Field, Feaunati, and Kabeya all getting in on the action. You’d think a 55-12 win would feel like total domination, but the source article mentions “without entirely vanquishing doubts over their position at the top,” which is a pretty telling phrase. Even with Hannah Botterman impressing off the bench and Ellie Kildunne weaving up from the backfield, there’s still a lingering sense that England isn’t quite at peak form.
USA’s Unseen Fight Exposes England’s Soft Spots
Here’s the real kicker: the United States, ranked sixth and coming into this game on a five-match winning streak (including big wins over Ireland and South Africa, mind you!), refused to just roll over. Remember how England absolutely pulverized them 69-7 in the World Cup last year? This was NOT that game. The underdogs were still snarling deep into the second half, and you gotta talk about Alev Kelter. That thunderous hit she laid on England captain Meg Jones, hoisting and dumping her? Man, that rallied the whole damn team. The stats at halftime even favored the USA, with them having more territory, possession, and making more metres with the ball in hand. Hope Rogers burrowed beneath Maddie Feaunati for a short-range score that sparked massive celebrations, and Kate Zackary dived over for a second USA try on the final play of the match, summing up their determination. Even with replacement prop Mona Lisa Tupou in the sin bin for a scrum infringement, the USA’s resistance and physicality stayed high.
This spirited USA performance only highlighted England’s issues. Coach Mitchell knows he’s got his work cut out for him. The line-out was shaky early, preventing them from firing up their rolling maul. They even got shoved back over their own line, with a Kathryn Treder try ruled out for obstruction. The scrum was also under serious pressure, with Maud Muir getting pinged as Hope Rogers grappled for set-piece supremacy. The hosts were making headway at the gainline with brute physicality, which is usually England’s trademark! Mitchell’s priority list is topped by tuning up his team’s set-piece solidity and attacking fluency. This win was good, but it didn’t hide the cracks.
So, what’s next? For England, it’s all eyes on April and their Women’s Six Nations title defense. Mitchell has plenty to ponder, and he needs to address those set-piece issues if they want to truly cement their spot at the top. For the USA, despite the scoreline, their grit and fight, especially against the top team, should give them a ton to build on from their five-match winning run.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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