Red Roses Run Riot in New Jersey as England Beat USA 55-12
England's Red Roses beat the United States 55-12 on Friday, finishing their WXV Global Series campaign with a heavy win in New Jersey. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald scored four tries, the most of any player on the pitch.
WXV is a series of women's international matches, and this was England's final game in it. The match was played at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, a town just outside New York City. Kick-off was at 2:15 pm local time, which was the evening in Britain.
England had not had an easy run into the game. They had lost two matches to Canada in the fortnight before, so they arrived looking for a result that would steady things. The United States were in form. They came in on a five-match winning run that included wins over Ireland and South Africa.
The Americans gave England a contest early on. Rogers and Zackary both crossed for the United States, and England led only 17-7 at half-time. The second half was a different story. England kept the ball moving, wore their opponents down and piled on the points. Meg Jones, who captained the side, scored, as did Venner, Field, Feaunati and Kabeya.
A try is worth five points. It is scored when a player grounds the ball over the opposition's try line. Each try also gives the scoring team a chance to add two more points with a conversion kick, and England's kicking helped push the total well past the half-century mark.
For England, the scoreline is a useful lift after the two defeats to Canada. It is also a reminder of how quickly a match can open up once one side gains control of possession and field position. Heavy scorelines can flatter the winners, and they can also hide what the losing side got right. The United States, who had been winning steadily before this trip, will want to take their own positives from the first half.
The result closes out a busy autumn for both sides. England's players now head back to their clubs and national camps, while the United States turn their attention to the next stage of their season.
