Harrison's Last-Gasp Try Seals England Comeback Over New Zealand
Zoe Harrison intercepted a loose New Zealand pass and sprinted clear to give England a comeback win over New Zealand in the WXV Global Series at Twickenham on 26 September.
The 80th-minute score settled a thriller at Allianz Stadium, the home of English rugby in south-west London. It was Harrison’s redemption after she had missed a penalty moments earlier that would have sealed the game World Rugby.
England trailed at half-time and had to fight back in front of 59,871 fans The Guardian. The crowd is among the largest seen for a women’s international. The WXV Global Series is an annual competition that brings the top women’s teams together outside World Cup years.
The result mattered. England had drawn 26-26 with Canada the previous Saturday BBC. A second slip would have handed momentum to their great rivals. Instead England made it four wins in a row against New Zealand, who were the last team to beat them back in 2022 and arrived in London on an eight-match winning run.
New Zealand struck first through centre Amy Du Plessis in the opening half. Winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga, who scored twice against England in the 2022 World Cup final, then crossed after having an earlier effort ruled out. England stayed in touch with a try for winger Claudia Moloney-MacDonald before the break.
Full-back Ellie Kildunne, wearing 15 and tasked with sweeping up kicks and joining the attack, scored straight after the restart to swing the contest. A try in rugby is worth five points and is scored by touching the ball down over the try-line.
The second half turned scrappy and tense. New Zealand lost Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu to the sin-bin. A yellow card means ten minutes off the field and leaves a team a player short. England had already reshuffled before kick-off, with veteran flanker Marlie Packer promoted to start after Sadia Kabeya was injured in the warm-up.
There was an extra edge for back-rower Maddie Feaunati, who qualified for New Zealand but chose to play for England in 2024. She faced the country she could have represented.
Before kick-off England had faced the haka, New Zealand’s traditional Māori challenge, in a V-shape before walking forward together into a single line.
What makes this stand out is the swing in Harrison’s afternoon. One missed kick could have defined her. Sixty seconds later she read the pass, took it cleanly and ran clear. That is the cruelty and joy of Test rugby in one passage.
