Pink Roses put up file Rugby World Cup victory with 14-try rout of Samoa in Northampton to qualify for quarter-finals with a sport to spare; Jess Breach scores hat-trick, Meg Jones scores two with 9 others on scoresheet in dominant victory
Final Up to date: 30/08/25 7:28pm
Jess Breach (left) scored a hat-trick in England’s 14-try rout of Samoa
Jess Breach plundered a hat-trick as England continued their march by means of the Rugby World Cup pool stage with a 92-3 victory over Samoa at Franklin’s Gardens.
The mismatch between professionals and amateurs produced a predictable end result with the Pink Roses registering a twenty ninth successive victory, sending data tumbling within the course of.
It was their highest variety of factors scored in a World Cup match and their greatest margin of victory, whereas participant of the match Helena Rowland’s particular person haul of 27 factors was probably the most within the nation’s historical past.
Rowland carved out her personal slice of Pink Roses historical past with the ultimate act of the sport when she transformed Claudia Moloney-MacDonald’s strive that was scored on the stroke of full-time.
Breach led the cost by lifting her whole of Check tries to 52 with a trio of stylish finishes and there was an eye catching double from Megan Jones as England crossed 14 instances in opposition to opponents ranked fifteenth on the planet.
Meg Jones ran in two first-half tries for England
The win got here despite the fact that head coach John Mitchell had made 13 modifications to the beginning XV after america had been thrashed within the event opener.
Samoa’s head coach Ramsey Tomokino described the showdown in opposition to a aspect that has by no means misplaced a World Cup group sport as “mission impossible” and it took simply 172 seconds for the dimensions of the duty to hit residence.
The Islanders’ early tackling was ferocious however their organisation did not match their intent, particularly within the wider channels the place Jones was the primary over within the third minute earlier than Breach confirmed her tempo to complete in the proper nook.
Concord Vatau is mobbed after scoring Samoa’s first factors of Rugby World Cup 2025
The drizzle at a depressing Franklin’s Gardens took a toll on either side’ dealing with, however the movement of factors from England didn’t let up with Sarah Bern burrowing over from shut vary earlier than Jones added her second.
The Pink Roses have been being offered with acres of area to assault, whereas their scrum was additionally dominant and when Maddie Feaunati and Lark Atkin-Davies touched right down to reward the facility of their pack, the lead grew to 40-0 with half-hour on the clock.
Samoa have been being run ragged and have been already displaying indicators of tiring, struggling to deal with the number of their opponents’ play.
Helena Rowland produced a participant of the match efficiency with 27 factors
Lucy Packer added England’s seventh strive, however the first half completed with the Islanders on the rampage with fly-half Concord Vatau and No 8 Nina Foaese carrying laborious.
The arrival of substitute tighthead Tori Losefo within the thirty third minute had steadied Samoa’s scrum and early within the second half they gained a penalty on the set-piece that was slotted by Vatau, igniting wild celebrations on the sphere.
England then needed to roll their sleeves up in defence and having weathered the storm, they superior downfield to attain by means of Kelsey Clifford earlier than Breach went over for her second.
Rowland caught and transformed her personal strive, placing her joint stage with Nicky Crawford and Sue Day as England’s file factors scorer in a World Cup sport on 25, however she was unable to push clear by failing to enhance contact downs by Marlie Packer and Breach.
When Moloney-MacDonald crossed within the eightieth minute, she had one final probability to nail the file and over went the touchline conversion.
Mitchell: Pink Roses ‘excellent, scientific’
England head coach John Mitchell talking to the BBC: “It’s not about comparing the line-ups, we are one team and one circle.
“I believed the women have been excellent and scientific, we have been organised and needed to play for one another. You may get unfastened when the scoreboard builds however we did not try this. I’m thrilled with the efficiency.
“We could select anyone at the end of the day, we will need everyone because the injury gods haven’t been kind to us. No matter who gets the job it’s about supporting each other, which they are really good at.
“We’ve three years of the previous that protects the long run. It’s all about consistency and cohesion and who has type.”
Pool A concludes on Saturday, September 6 with Samoa taking over USA in York at 1.30pm earlier than England face Australia in Brighton at 5pm in a blockbuster conflict the place high spot is on the road.
