England’s women’s rugby union side extended their winning run to 17 Tests on Saturday beating world champions New Zealand 24-12 in an entertaining tussle at Twickenham.
It was England’s second successive win over the Kiwis, having beaten them in New Zealand last year and a timely warning they are in the mood for revenge in next year’s World Cup.
The visitors are the last side to have beaten world ranked number one side England — in the 2022 World Cup final, the fifth time the English have lost in the final of the quadrennial showpiece to the Black Ferns.
Any notion that the match had been taken as a gentle contest were dismissed by England’s Alex Matthews, player of the match.
“It is never a friendly in Test match rugby — we don’t do friendlies,” she told the BBC.
“These are warm-ups, but we started something last year and want to build to the World Cup next year.”
It was England who sparkled from the kick-off, in front of over 40,000 raucous and lively spectators.
It was a suitable audience for 2019 world player of the year and 2014 World Cup winner Emily Scarratt, who became the third player to make her 100th start for the hosts.
England tested their opponents, probing for weaknesses and broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when captain Marlie Packer grounded the ball after a rolling maul hauled her over the line.
Holly Aitchison missed the conversion.
Abby Dow and then Ellie Kildunne added two quickfire tries on the half hour and 36th minute marks respectively — Aitchison converting the latter for a 17-0 lead.
The try was deserved for Dow as she was a livewire presence in attack, regularly getting the better of her opposing wing Katelyn Vahaakolo.
It was a downcast New Zealand side that returned to the changing rooms for the half-time talk at 17-0 down.
Their morale took a further pounding as two minutes into the second half scrum-half Natasha Hunt looked to have put the game beyond them when she went over.
Aitchison converted for 24-0.
Vahaakolo had had a torrid time in defence but in attack she was vibrant and got New Zealand on the scoreboard in the 50th minute.
On the hour mark it was a case of deja vu as Vahaakolo scored their second try and gave them a glimmer of hope of a remarkable comeback.
Renee Holmes converted for 24-12 and it was game on for the final quarter.
However, despite the best efforts of both sides neither could add to the scoreline but they got warmly applauded off the pitch for an entertaining match by the crowd.
The two sides may well be back at Twickenham on September 27 next year for the World Cup final.
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