Headingley Stadium was the venue for a top-drawer double-header which started with England’s women taking on the Welsh in the fourth test match between the two nations, England with big wins in all previous meetings.
England were massive favourites as they start their preparation for a three-test match encounter against Australia in 2025, a run out before a true test of England’s women and their current international standing.
Stuart Barrow had some selection problems for a variety of reason and selected a young squad of players hungry to establish themselves on the national stage.
Inside the first five minutes England took the lead with Olivia Wood taking a short ball from Jodie Cunningham to power over the line, Isabel Rowe was wide with her conversion attempt.
On eleven Anna Davies was on hand to collect a deft Isabel Rowe grubber kick to the corner to round her tackler and dive in to ground in the corner. Rowe was again wide with the conversion, zero from two for the youngster.
It was a try every five minutes for England when Paige Travis left her tackler for dead as she bust through the Welsh defensive line to score with ease. Rowe found the mark this time, England with a 14-0 lead.
On twenty, England got their fourth as Travis got her second of the game, this one off a great pass from Cunnigham as she went in from five metres out. Rowe added the extras to push England onto twenty points without response.
It was all one-way traffic as England dominated. Davies sliding over the line on twenty-four for England’s fifth try of the game, but Rowe was wide with the conversion.
Wales went close on twenty-eight but a great tackle from England denied them.
On thirty England were in again as they cut through the Welsh defence with the halves swamping the line and Eboni Partington, Rowe added the conversion for 30-0, England scoring at a point a minute.
Anna Davies grabbed her hat-trick try on thirty-five after brilliant work from Rowe who came inside and found her winger in space to go down the outside and score in the left corner. Rowe was unable to add the touchline conversion, hitting the near post with her attempt.
While England were unable to bring up the first half forty, they edged closer on forty-two when Amelia Brown ran the angle to round the defensive linen and cross with some ease. Rowe hit the far post with the conversion for 38-0.
Two minutes later and England did hit the forty, Davies getting her fourth as she again exploited plenty of space down the left-hand side to take the Hardcastle pass and ground in the corner. Rowe hit the post again, but this one hit the right wide and bounced over.
It was three tries in five minutes when Erin Stott took the pass in and acre of space and sprinted in from twenty metres for a debut try. Rowe was wide with the conversion, now just four from ten attempts.
It was four tries in ten minutes for a devastating England as Katie Mottershead went through the smallest of gaps thirty from the line and battled to the line, slipping out of a tackle and rolling over. Rowe scored from under the sticks, Wales devastated.
The fifty-sixth minute saw Anna Davies get her fifth try of the afternoon taking an Amy Hardcastle pass to run in unopposed for the try. Rowe was off target again with the conversion from wide but England back scoring at a point a minute, despite fourteen points going missing from Rowe’s boot.
Two minutes later Brown got her second, skilling the Welsh winger and sprinting down the touchline for a score in the right corner to score from nearly forty metres. Rowe was on target with the conversion, six from thirteen attempts.
On sixty-four Hollie Dodd smashed her way through the Welsh line, after stepping off her right foot, to score under the sticks, the fourteenth England try of the game. Rowe was up to fifty percent conversion rate with her seventh conversion of the game as England went to 70-0.
Brown’s hat-trick brought up England largest ever score in an international as she went through the line on thirty-five to score under the sticks. Rowe kicked her eighth conversion of the game, sights set on the eighty. Wales were out on their feet under the England onslaught.
A superb solo try from Partington, breaking the Wales line and sprinting for seventy metres, pushed England to eighty points and an absolute demolition. Rowe made it nine goals from sixteen attempts for 82-0, the most one-sided of games from an England side firing on all cylinders.
It was a devastating performance from England, a record-breaking Saturday afternoon, against a Welsh side who offered little resistance in the first half and who capitulated in the second. A number of standout performances with sixteen tries being scored, nine of them being converted on a mixed afternoon for Isabel Rowe. A good day at the office for England’s women.
England: Brown (3T), Davies (5T), Hardcastle, Stott (T), Partington (2T), Rowe (9/16 G), Harris, Cunningham, Hoyle, Bennett, Wood (T), Travis (2T), Dodd (T), Cunningham. Subs: Mottershead (T), Whitfield, Sykes, Northrop. 18th Man: Coleman.
Wales: Burnell, Davies, Prescott, Wood, McGifford, Whittaker, Parker, Carr, Marsh, Hughes, Taylor, Jones, Dainton. Subs: Gibbons, Proce, Jekins, Jones. 18th Man: Hobbs.
Half-Time: 34-0.
Full-Time: 82-0.
Score Progression: 4-0, 8-0, 12-0, 14-0, 18-0, 20-0, 24-0, 28-0, 30-0, 34-0 :HT: 38-0, 42-0, 44-0, 48-0, 52-0, 54-0, 58-0, 62-0, 64-0, 68-0, 70-0, 74-0, 76-0, 80-0, 82-0 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: England.
Referee: James Vella.
