England Women enjoyed a dominant 62-0 victory against Wales this afternoon (9 August) at the Lextan Gnoll Stadium in Neath with four debutants on the scoresheet for the visitors.
Stuart Barrow’s side were facing their home nation rivals in South Wales for the first time since 2022 and were looking to bounce back following their defeat to the Australia Jillaroos in Las Vegas in March – and they did so in style.
After a narrow victory against Scotland last weekend, Wales started strong defensively, but it was half-back Jenna Foubister who crossed for the first try of the afternoon. With England just meters from the try line the 18-year-old picked up a grubber kick from her Wigan Warriors teammate Isabel Rowe and celebrated a debut England try.
Another debutant was on the scoresheet just a short time later with 20-year-old Molly Jones using her pace to break through the Wales defence before Anna Davies and Lucy Murray also crossed the whitewash to make it 22-0 heading into the break.
England picked up where they left off in the second half with Foubister offloading to Eva Hunter 40 metres out almost immediately from the restart and the second row went on to completely outpace the Wales defence to score her first England try. The 20-year-old had a dream debut scoring a brace later in the half with Rowe, Georgia Wilson and Bella Sykes adding to the scoresheet to finish the score at 62-0.
Speaking after the game, Player of the Match Isabel Rowe, said: “I really enjoyed it. I think first half I was a little bit shaky. I probably wasn't the happiest with my performance the first half, but for the second I just told myself to enjoy it. I'm playing with some amazing girls so that made my job really easy.”
The 18-year-old was returning to the side after a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury earlier in the season and reannounced herself to the international side with some exceptional conversions in the second half.
“I think as a kicker as soon as you hit it you know whether it’s going over or not. I think I struck some of them really, really well. But I did a kicking lesson with Adam Keighran earlier on in the year just before the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, so I've got him to thank for that.”
And with a World Cup on the horizon the half-back is keen to keep pushing on for a starting place in Stuart Barrows team for the foreseeable.
“I think everyone wants to play the World Cup and they want play in a World Cup for England so there's a lot of competition and I'm really looking forward to doing all that I can to get on that plane.”
Squads and Scorers
England Women
Tries: Foubister, Jones, Davies (2), Murray, Hunter (2), Rowe, Sykes, Partington, Wilson
Goals: Rowe 9/11
Savannah Andrade (York Valkyrie), Grace Banks (Wigan Warriors), Ruby Bruce, Evie Cousins (both Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies, Jenna Foubister, Eva Hunter (all Wigan Warriors), Phoebe Hook (St Helens), Molly Jones (Wigan Warriors), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray, Izzy Northrop (both Leeds Rhinos), Eboni Partington (York Valkyrie), Emily Rudge (St Helens), Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Georgia Wilson (Wigan Warriors), Liv Wood (York Valkyrie), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens)
Wales Women
Leanne Burnell, Lucia Davies, Jasmine Gibbons, Ffion Jenkins, Hannah Jones, Charlie Mundy, Rhi Parker, Amy Price, Amberley Ruck, Meg Whittaker, Olivia Williams, Sioned Young (all Cardiff Demons), Gracie Hobbs (Huddersfield Giants), Bethan Dainton (Leeds Rhinos, captain), Kathryn Salter (London Broncos), Georgia Taylor (Sheffield Eagles), Dani McGifford (St Helens), Carys Marsh (Wigan Warriors), Agnes Wood (York Valkyrie).
