2 days ago
17
Women's Six Nations
Wales (7) 12
Tries: Scoble, Williams Con: Bevan
England (26) 67
Tries: Feaunati 2, Jones, Bern, Kildunne 3, Dow 2, Burton 2 Cons: Harrison 6
England may have fielded a different team but the result was the same as the Red Roses ran in 11 tries against Wales in front of a record crowd of over 21,000.
England head coach John Mitchell made 13 changes to his starting XV, including world player of the year Ellie Kildunne who celebrated her 50th cap with a hat-trick.
Wales got off to a dream start with Jenni Scoble crossing to light up the Principality Stadium.
But after the first 10 minutes England showed their class, scoring through every facet of play as they remain on course for a seventh consecutive Six Nations title and a fourth consecutive Grand Slam.
There were poignant tries for debutant Abi Burton, who fought back from an induced coma in 2022, and Wales-born Meg Jones, who was playing her first Red Roses game since her parents passed away.
England skipper Zoe Aldcroft and number eight Maddie Feaunati were the only players retained from the win over Italy last weekend, with Feaunati bagging two tries of her own.
Wales, in contrast, made only minor changes, bringing in Gwenllian Pyrs and Gwen Crabb as new head coach Sean Lynn looked for consistency in just his second game in charge.
The hosts had not tasted victory over England since 2015, but backed by the biggest ever crowd for a Wales women's team event in Wales (21,186), they got off to a bright start.
They asserted early pressure, going through the phases and stretching the defence. Carys Cox had a sniff of the tryline on her wing, but was well marshalled by Kildunne.
Wales kept asking questions but their attack was thwarted by a superb Sadia Kabeya turnover. It should have been a easy clearance for Zoe Harrison, but she knocked on behind her own line and gifted Wales a five metre scrum.
It proved costly as Georgia Evans picked up from the base and drove to within inches of the line, with Scoble quick to recycle and crash over.
True to form, England did not take long to respond. Abby Dow, returning after breaking her hand, put a kick through which put the covering Lisa Neumann under pressure. Feaunati took lineout ball before handing off Abbie Fleming and charging to the line.
The second try fittingly fell to Cardiff-born Welsh speaker Jones, who scooped up a loose ball in the midfield before beating three defenders on her way to score.
Sarah Bern was in shortly after, England had overthrown the lineout but managed to retain possession and nice hands from Feaunati put the prop in under the posts.
The bonus-point was wrapped up before the break when England drove Wales off the scrum and the ball came out to Breach who fed Feaunati in the corner.
Lynn made half-time changes bringing on Donna Rose and Kelsey Jones in the front row in a bid to compete more in the physical battle.
And the team talk looked to have inspired as Wales once again started the half brightly, but England gave a lesson on how to be clinical as the tries came raining down in Cardiff.
The pick was the first from Kildunne who latched onto a looping ball out wide from Harrison to cross in the corner.
She was back in on the opposite corner five minutes later, before dotting down for her hat-trick and leaving the field to rapturous applause before being deservedly named player of the match.
A chance then fell to Wales who showed the fight and passion that Lynn had asked for all week. Despite being shoved off their own scrum, the ball came out to Cox who managed to offload to Kate Williams who crossed to give the home crowd something to cheer.
The final 10 minutes became the Abi show, with Dow and Burton both crossing for two tries apiece as Wales looked in a danger of a record loss to their rivals.
But the whistle went to spare Wales that honour as they continue to build under new management.
Wales: Joyce-Butchers; Neumann, H Jones (capt), Powell, Cox, George, Bevan; G Pyrs, Phillips, Scoble, Fleming, Crabb, Williams, Lewis, Evans.
Replacements: K Jones, M Davies, Rose, A Pyrs, King, M Davies, C Keight, N Metcalfe.
England: Kildunne; Dow, Jones, Heard, Breach; Harrison, Hunt; Carson, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Talling, Ward, Aldcroft (capt), Kabeya, Feaunati.
Replacements: Cokayne, Botterman, Muir, Galligan, Burton, L Packer, Aitchison, Rowland.
