Key events
7m ago
Match report
36m ago
Full-time: England 92-3 Samoa
38m ago
TRY! England 92-3 Samoa (MacDonald, 80)
44m ago
TRY! England 85-3 Samoa (Breach, 74)
48m ago
TRY! England 80-3 Samoa (M Packer, 71)
55m ago
TRY! England 75-3 Samoa (Rowland, 65)
1h ago
TRY! England 66-3 Samoa (Carson, 61)
1h ago
TRY! England 61-3 Samoa (Breach, 54)
1h ago
TRY! England 54-3 Samoa (Clifford, 49)
1h ago
Penalty! England 47-3 Samoa (Vatau, 44)
2h ago
Half-time: England 47-0 Samoa
2h ago
TRY! England 47-0 Samoa (L Packer, 34)
2h ago
TRY! England 40-0 Samoa (Davies, 30)
2h ago
TRY! England 33-0 Samoa (Feaunati, 24)
2h ago
TRY! England 26-0 Samoa (Jones, 17)
2h ago
TRY! England 21-0 Samoa (Bern, 14)
2h ago
TRY! England 14-0 Samoa (Breach, 8)
2h ago
TRY! England 7-0 Samoa (Jones, 4)
3h ago
Samoa team
3h ago
England team
3h ago
Preamble
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Match report
Sarah Rendell’s match report from Northampton has just landed.
With that I’ll say cheerio as I switch my attention to the Wallaroos versus Eagles clash.
That was a rout from the English though Samoa showed plenty of pluck. “A David v Goliath match” as Sarah calls it. This time, David had no chance.
See you soon.
Some words from England’s head coach, John Mitchell:
It’s not about comparing the line-ups, we are one team and one circle.
I thought the girls were outstanding and clinical, we were organised and wanted to play for each other.
You can get loose when the score board builds but we didn’t do that. I am thrilled with the performance.
We could select anyone at the end of the day, we will need everyone because the injury gods haven’t been kind to us.
No matter who gets the job it’s about supporting each other, which they are really good at.
We have three years of the past that protects the future. It is all about consistency and cohesion and who has form.
“We need more rugby,” says Samoa’s coach Ramsey Tomokino:
I did [smile when we got points], initially I wanted us to tap and go but we talked about getting some points which we did and we avoided that zero.
But a goal was to cross that line and we didn’t.
We need more rugby in Samoa, we need to be part of a professional competition, that would help us. Our players are spread out around the world.
It would be fantastic to go to York and get a win, we will be targeting that. We have rotated our players because all of our players deserve to play.
The Samoans are celebrating, holding up signs, singing and dancing.
Try telling them that the only thing that matters is the score.
Still, would be great if they were supported with the requisite coaching and training to compete at this level.
Time to hear from Claudia Moloney Macdonald:
I pretty much fell over the line to score. I was emotional at the end, it was a big game for us and we wanted to build on last week which we did.
There were a few mistakes that we will work on.
When I look back it is unbelievable, to think a year a go I was scared to turn up to training because I didn’t want to get hit by a ball. I am just proud to be here in the moment.
To be at the top of your game you have to always be competitive and want to fight for the shirt.
Helena Rowland, a deserving player of the match, speaks with the BBC:
I am very pleased, the conditions weren’t in our favour and we adapted to that. We played some good rugby.
With a squad that had so many changes, it felt really cohesive.
It’s a decent turn out considering the conditions, we could hear each and every fan and it really does make a difference.
Has she done enough to win a spot in England’s best XV? I think she’s an absolute baller. I’d have her in my team.
ShareFull-time: England 92-3 Samoa
A rout, as expected, but England will take plenty from that. Rowland, Breach and Shekells stood up and to make John Mitchell’s job for the rest of the tournament a tricky one. It was close to perfect with some room for improvement. What more could you ask for?
As for Samoa, they have their first points of the tournament. They’ll remember that match for a long time, long after the bumps and bruises have worn off.
ShareTRY! England 92-3 Samoa (MacDonald, 80)
The cherry on the top! England refused to let that end in failure and they get their final score. It was sparked by Harrison’s grubber and Breach’s tenacious chase. They somehow won the ball back and then fizzed through the hands down the left. The final pass was a little ropey but MacDonald reached out, plucked it from the air and kept her feet to slide over in the corner. Rowland makes a difficult conversion from the left look easy.
MacDonald scores a try. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 13.54 EDT
79 min: It’s taken nearly all game but we finally see Foaese run hard and straight and over a tackler. But Samoa lose the ball so England have one final shot to score again. Galligan to MacDonald who tries to off-load but can’t. Packer has it. Harrison from first receiver grubbers ahead. Breach keeps it alive…
76 min: England aren’t done. They’re giving the ball air every chance they get. Samoa look dead on their feet. The final whistle can’t come soon enough but they’ll have to scrum as an English attack down the left ends with a knock on. Rowland is rightly named player of the match. Will she get one more chance to take a shot at goal? Samoa have the scrum feed down their right inside their own half.
ShareTRY! England 85-3 Samoa (Breach, 74)
BREACH HAS HER HAT-TRICK! Another quickly taken penalty – Hunt has injected serious pace since coming one – has the ball flying to Breach on the right wing. Is there a better winger at standing up a defender before finding an edge? Maybe, but today’s she’s had magic in her boots. Once she gets the ball she makes Wright-Akeli look like a mannequin, squaring up the tackler and motoring round the corner to slide over. Rowland has lost her radar and can’t convert from the right tram.
Breach gets her hat-trick. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 13.45 EDT
72 min: Samoa come up with a great steal and penalty inside their own 22 on their right. It was in response to a quickly taken penalty from Hunt who found Sing who found Harrison. It was a lovely move from the English but Pauaraisa was sharp and got her body over the ball for a swift jackal.
ShareTRY! England 80-3 Samoa (M Packer, 71)
The skipper is over! England’s scrum powers forward giving Hunt the option to go left or right down the blind. Instead it’s Feaunati who picks up off the back of the set piece and carries down the right. She busts a tackle about two metres short. From there it’s a question of who, not if. It’s Marlie Packer who storms over from close range. Rowland can’t quite land the conversion from the right.
Packer scores England’s twelfth try. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.42 EDT
69 min: England are looking to up the tempo late on. Samoa continue to scramble and force the ball loose, but there’s a Samoan knock on. England have the scrum bang on the 22. They go right looking for Breach. Once again Samoa knock-on in the tackle. England get another scrum just a little closer to the line and a little further to the right.
68 min: England take a line-out quickly with Hunt hacking it upfield. It’s a messy set that started with Samoa doing nothing with the ball and ends with England having the line-out just beyond Samoa’s 22.
ShareTRY! England 75-3 Samoa (Rowland, 65)
Rowland bags a try in the corner! She deserves that. it started with a poor set from Samoa off their own line out, forcing the knock on. Then England pounced, moving the ball at pace to the left wing. MacDonald got round an edge and found Sing back on the inside to keep the move alive. Sing was tackled short but Rowland was in support, picking up and dotting down the corner. To emphasise her class she nails the tough conversion from out wide.
64 min: England turn the ball over, they work it down the short side on the right and find Breach. The winger stands up a defender, puts the after burners on and starts tearing down the right tram. it’s wonderful! What a run! Oh no! her foot touches the line. No matter, Samoa cough up possession from the subsequent line-out so England fly down the line towards MacDonald on the left wing. She pops it back inside for Sing and they’re a metre short…
63 min: Ah-Cheung makes the mistake of running straight at Muir and gets drilled in the tackle. But Samoa have a penalty on halfway and kick it out. It’s a poor kick, barely making any ground. They’ll have the line-out just 10 metres inside England’s turf.
ShareTRY! England 66-3 Samoa (Carson, 61)
Samoa make a mess of their line-out and pay the price! Burton gobbled up the loose throw and Lucy Packer was up in support in a flash, fizzing the pass towards her big ball carriers. She found Carson on the charge and there was no stopping the prop from right in front. Rowland adds two more points to her tally.
Carson scores. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 13.39 EDT
59 min: England’s fresh front row win a scrum penalty at the first time of asking. It’s right in front of the poles but beyond the 22. She chooses to kick to the corner and lands it perfectly! What a touch finer. She’s put that about five out so England get a line-out and a chance to maul. They blow it! Campbell’s throw is not straight. Samoa choose to throw rather than scrum. Five out from their own line.
57 min: Samoa hold the ball up over their try line. Solid defence. The clearing drop kick doesn’t make a huge amount of ground so England are back. But Rowland spills a bad pass near her ankles. Samoa have the scrum feed but England have a new front row who came on in one go.
55 min: Sing, who has made a few mistakes, thumps Fiafia into touch with a bone shuddering hit. In a flash England are steaming down the field from a line-out, making ground down the left. They spill it, but there’s a late hit from a Samoan on Carson so England get a soft penalty just beyond Samoa’s 22 on the right. Rowland nudges it to the corner.
ShareTRY! England 61-3 Samoa (Breach, 54)
So slick from England! When even props are unfurling off-loads in contact you know you’re not dealing with an ordinary team. Clifford, after several big carries and canters from teammates, had the ball on the gallop, rode the tackle but managed to get a perfect pass away for the onrushing Breach. After a shaky start to the second half, England are purring once more.
Breach scores England’s ninth try. Photograph: Morgan Harlow/World Rugby/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 13.20 EDT
53 min: Rowland hammers a clearing kick from the restart. Wow, she absolutely smoked that. Samoa have to throw from back inside their own half. Galligan rises and gets a hand on it but it comes down on the Samoan side. The underdogs don’t do anything don;t do anything with it and kick a nothing kick ahead. England are coming back at them….
ShareTRY! England 54-3 Samoa (Clifford, 49)
That’s the difference between the best and the rest. When England get a chance to score, they do so. From the line-out, Rowland showed quick feet to wrong-foot the defence and make ground. They went down the short side on the left, Burton combined with Breach for a slick one-two. Then Galligan came close before Clifford picked up and burrowed over under the poles. Rowland slots the easy extras.
Updated at 13.38 EDT
47 min: Samoa are playing with an advantage having made about 30 metres from the scrum. Great ball handling, great carrying. This is fantastic! There’s a quick tap from Afuie the scrum-half and now they’re 10 metres out. They go left from under the poles with prop Aiolupotea winning the contact. AAAH! But that’s a sensational steal from captain Packer close to her own line. Sloppy from Samoa. They slacked off and Packer is too good to miss out on that steal. Perhaps Samoa could have gone right when they went left, but that’s said in retrospect. Still, vast improvements from the first half. England need to switch on here. They’ll get things going again with a line-out near halfway.
45 min: What was in the half-time drinks? Samoa are robust from the restart and free the ball for Vatau to clear with a kick. Sing is under it but knocks on. So Samoa have another scrum inside England’s half. Five minutes into the second stanza and it’s been one way traffic.
SharePenalty! England 47-3 Samoa (Vatau, 44)
Samoa have their first points of the World Cup! A solid thump from the swinging boot of Vatau sees the ball fly through the poles. What a wonderful moment.
Vatau celebrates with team-mates. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PAShare
Updated at 13.07 EDT
43 min: Samoa celebrate as if they’ve just scored a try! They haven’t, but they’ve won a scrum penalty against England’s ball. Wow! What a moment. England got a shove on but didn’t anticipate a counter shove. Soon they were going backwards and spiralling. Samoa ask for the tee and point to the poles.
42 min: Samoa get a scrum feed inside England’s patch. This time the ball moves swiftly out the back but Makisi in midfield knocks on in contact.
The half-time chat is over. The players are out and ready to get going again.
What I don’t love is Sonja McLaughlan asking AMy Cokayne “feels sorry for the Samoans”.
I get that this is a match between pros and amateurs, but feeling sorry for the opposition in a World Cup? Sorry, that’s just yuck.
Did anyone ask this question when Australia beat Namibia 142-0 at the men’s World Cup in 2003? or when the All Blacks beat Japan 145-17 in 1995? I doubt it.
Well done to Cokayne who shot that right down.
Ruby Tui has just asked Chloe Kelly if she knows what a “goosey” is.
I can’t express how much I love that.
While you’re here, read this cracking interview the Black Fern legend had with Sarah Rendell:
ShareHalf-time: England 47-0 Samoa
That went exactly how we thought it would go. England just too good. Simple as that. Even when Samoa scrambled England found a way to score. Even when Samoa came close to scoring themselves the English counter rucked and tackled like the professionals they are. Surely a century will be the target from here.
39 min: AAAAAH! Samoa come within a metre of scoring! What a passage of play from them. They managed to get the ball out the back of the scrum under immense pressure then they rampaged forward. Fiafia on the right wing. Vatau from the inside channel, sitting down Sing with a mighty carry. Then the replacement prop Iosefo monstered over the gainline. They kept flooding forward. It was wonderful. It was thrilling. It came to nothing as they ran out of puff and couldn’t resists a great counter ruck from the English and gave away the ball within sight of their first point in the World Cup.