Summary

  • World champions England fight back in style to beat Australia in opening match of WXV Global Series in Salford

  • England trailed at half-time for the first time since November 2020 after Faliki Pohiva's try put the visitors 10-5 ahead

  • But John Mitchell's side scored seven second-half tries to extend their winning run to 39 successive matches

  • May Campbell's try gave England the lead early in second half

  • Captain Meg Jones, debutant Bryony Field, Mia Venner, Sadia Kabeya, Lucy Packer and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald added further tries as England powered clear

  • Player of the match Abi Burton scored England's only first-half try

  • The Six Nations champions play Canada and New Zealand over the next two weekends

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Live Reporting

Elizabeth Botcherby

  1. try

    Try - England 5-8 Australia

    Brittany Merlo

    Such power from Australia! Driving maul and prop Brittany Merlo crashes over.

  2. England 5-3 Australia

    Good spell of possession from Australia in response to that England try, camping inside the Red Roses' half.

    Full-back Caitlyn Halse makes a hash of her chipped kick with space opening up on the left, airshotting, but Sadia Kabeya is pinged for coming in at the side.

    Australia, back to full-strength, will have a line-out six metres from England's line.

  3. Katy Daley-McLean
    England's 2014 World Cup winning captain on BBC iPlayer

    England's Abi Burton scores a tryPA Media

    It was a lovely try there. Abi Burton finishes it. There's some evolution from England there to go inside and not just go to the line.

    England aren't playing flat, they're playing really aggressively. It might not always work but when it does it's really good.

  4. try

    Try - England 5-3 Australia

    Abi Burton (con missed)

    I don't think there'll be any doubt about this one!

    Holly Aitchison rampages down the left wing, attracting defenders left, right and centre.

    She keeps the move alive with a flick out to Sadia Kabeya, who finds Abi Burton and the second row plops over.

    Aitchison misses the conversion from the left touchline.

  5. England 0-3 Australia

    England are coming down the left with Holly Aitchison... acres of space!

  6. England 0-3 Australia

    Faitala Moleka, playing her first Test at centre, rumbles forward into England's half but loses the ball in the collision with Natasha Hunt.

    Scrappy.

  7. England 0-3 Australia

    Another handling error from England, this time Abi Burton is the guilty party.

    Australia have a scrum on the halfway line.

  8. England 0-3 Australia

    Alastair Telfer
    BBC Sport journalist at CorpAcq Stadium

    Referee Aurelie Groizeleau initially pulled out a red card and realised her error.

    The crowd enjoyed that one as we all knew it was a genuine error.

    Samantha Wood maybe didn't...

  9. Kat Merchant
    2014 World Cup winner on BBC iPlayer

    It's a long old game for Australia to hold out. They have to try and get themselves up the pitch as much as they can.

  10. England 0-3 Australia

    Georgina Friedrichs is the makeshift scrum-half for Australia with Samantha Wood in the bin.

    She flings the ball left to Faitala Moleka, who makes some space, before a clearing kick booms the ball into England's half. Australia can breathe.

  11. England 0-3 Australia

    England are flinging to the ball around as they attack down the left wing but May Campbell knocks on.

    Opportunity for Australia to clear their lines from this scrum.

  12. Katy Daley-McLean
    England's 2014 World Cup winning captain on BBC iPlayer

    That is a massive loss for Australia. Now they need a reshuffle.

  13. Sin-bin - Samantha Wood (Australia)

    England 0-3 Australia

    Australia scrum-half Samantha Wood is sent to the bin for 10 minutes.

    There were too many bodies crammed around for the penalty try to be awarded.

  14. England 0-3 Australia

    "Cynical action", says the referee, who is about to brandish her yellow card.

  15. England 0-3 Australia

    But before that scrum takes place, the TMO wants to check a deliberate knock-on by Australia off Tatyana Heard's offload.

  16. England 0-3 Australia

    England surge forward once again, coming down the right flank before switching the ball to centre.

    Tatyana Heard tries to offload to Meg Jones but the ball goes to ground.

    There's a bit of a scramble. Australia will have a scrum around 10 metres from their own try-line.

  17. England 0-3 Australia

    Alastair Telfer
    BBC Sport journalist at CorpAcq Stadium

    The new women's 4.5 ball, which is three percent smaller than the standard size 5, just came flying towards me from a penalty.

    I should have ran and caught it for a proper examination.

    Holly Aitchison's conversion no longer stands, but that strike showed no issues with the new ball.

  18. England 0-3 Australia

    Sloppy handling inside Australia's half. The two sides trade knock-ons.

    England have the scrum.

  19. Katy Daley-McLean
    England's 2014 World Cup winning captain on BBC iPlayer

    The decision is right but it's taken so long to make that decision. England should not have to make that kick.

    It takes the energy out of the game.

  20. Disallowed try - England 0-3 Australia

    Offside indeed. Meg Jones was in front of the charge down.

    England's try is chalked off.