"Record World Cup Win" - England 92-3 Samoa: Red Roses' react to 14-try victory in Northampton
Rugby NewsSaturday, 30 August 2025 at 21:40
England continue to rip up the record books at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, as the Red Roses powered to a 92-3 victory over Samoa this evening. John Mitchell's side were ruthless in the 14-try rout over the Pacific Islanders, as England hit new heights for their all-time biggest Women's Rugby World Cup victory.
The scoring started early and failed to cease. Meg Jones got England on the board after just three minutes and added her brace mid-way through the first half. The Red Roses bagged seven first half scores, as Sarah Bern, Maddie Feaunati, Lark Atkin-Davies and Lucy Packer all joined the fray.
Jess Breach scored her 50th Test try upon her 49th cap in the first half, before completing a stunning hat-trick in the latter stages. Marlie Packer, Kelsey Clifford, Mackenzie Carson and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald also crossed over in the second half. Helena Rowland nailed 11 conversions and added a try of her own for a staggering personal points tally of 27, to set a new England record for a personal points haul in a Women's Rugby World Cup match.
After the action had come to a close at Northampton's Franklin's Gardens, England head coach John Mitchell was joined in the media centre by his match day captain Marlie Packer. Here are the five biggest talking points from the post match press conference, after England ran roughshod in the East Midlands.
5 TALKING POINTS: ENGLAND 92-3 SAMOA - 2025 WOMEN'S RUGBY WORLD CUP (POOL A)
"We wouldn't be human if we didn't have something to fix" - John Mitchell continues to drive the Red Roses to perfection
Whilst every England fan in the building was delighted to see the Red Roses run rampant in the Pool A triumph, head coach John Mitchell continues to strive for excellence. 14 tries set an all-time highest margin of England victory in a Women's Rugby World Cup match, but Mitchell, ever the student of the game, drew his attention to some of England's short-comings against Samoa.
The Pacific Islanders exploded out of the interval, with 10 minutes of Manusina dominance stunning the Red Roses. Samoa won scrum penalties, dictated the attacking tempo, and even got their sole points on the board from the kicking tee. Mitchell would have preferred a 80-minute shut-out, with the slight lapse in concentration focused upon in the post-match debrief.
JOHN MITCHELL: "I thought the start was announced, energetic, a very clinical start. I think as the game wore on in and the scoreboard was building, it was always going to be this group's challenge to stay in the process and build pressure. So there's always something to fix in this game.
"So to answer your question around that area [40-50th minute lapse], ultimately at the end of day, if you're going to mark it hard, then you'd ask, 'why didn't we put pressure in that period' and maybe our basics let us down on those couple of occasions. So, we wouldn't be human if we didn't have something to fix."
"Outstanding Triple Threat" - Heaps of praise for the record-breaking Helena Rowland after starring performance
One of the spotlighted performances from the match, Helena Rowland was obviously in the forefront of the post-match discussions after breaking the individual points record for an England Women's Rugby World Cup match. The Loughborough Lightning star was on fire upon her return to her home stadium, with 11 conversions sent sailing through the uprights, along with a well taken second half score.
Rowland surpassed the previously shared record of 25 individual points in a single Red Roses World Cup effort, that was held by both Nicky Crawford (1998) and Sue Day (2002). Mitchell was delighted to see Rowland back in her full-stride after a problematic ankle injury kept her out of the tournament opener against the United States. 'Mitch' called Rowland a 'triple threat', in a nice summary of her efforts.
JOHN MITCHELL: "She's got a great skill set. She drove the game really well, communicated all week. You could tell that she was going to perform well, and she did. A lot of the other girls fed off her direction, I thought she put us down at the right end of the field when we needed to be there. She obviously directed attack pretty well to allow us to go forward and she can hunt weakness pretty quickly through her pace. So, she was definitely an example of an outstanding triple threat."
"She'll burn you!" Jess Breach bags a hat-trick and makes her milestone 50th career try for the Red Roses
Jess Breach was also in the headlines from England's rampant win over Samoa, as the flying wing made up a significant career milestone. It is an incredible accolade, as Breach scored her 50th, 51st and 52nd England tries, in what is only her 49th appearance for her country at 15s Test level. Breach now sits at fourth in the all-time England Women try-scoring charts, behind the immortal Emily Scarratt (53) and Red Roses legends Nicola Crawford (57) and Sue Day (61).
JOHN MITCHELL: "It is a delight to see Jessie confident. Very good in her one on one duals, her ability to just find a half a metre and she'll burn you. What I like about Jess is she's confident, and everyone's done a lot of work, but more importantly, she's done the work to put herself in that position. When Jess is like that, she's outstanding."
Boundless Samoan pride for Maddie Feaunati - England back row stars against the nation of her heritage
A story of cultural heritage that was woven into the fabric of this match, England back row Maddie Feaunati made her first Women's Rugby World Cup start against the nation that runs so deep within her ancestory. Feaunati's father, Isaac Feaunati, is a former Samoan international and was in attendance to watch Maddie embark on this significant occassion.
After the match, the Samoan and England players banded together in a dual-squad huddle, with a remarkable show of mutual respect abundant throughout the group. The Pacific Islanders then brought the party with their customary singing and dancing, with Feaunati pulled into the mix as her England teammates cheered in support. John Mitchell and Marlie Packer both discussed this momentous occassion for the back row who's known as 'Maddie the Baddy' around the Red Roses circles.
MARLIE PACKER: "When we first got there, they were singing and dancing, and the girls got really involved. They obviously called Maddie in, as we know, Maddie's father used to play for Samoa. I think it was 12 caps, so they definitely pulled her in. But I think it's just that connection, it's the one of the most amazing thing about rugby.
"You run into each other as hard as you can on the pitch, but then after the game, you enjoy and spend time together. I think that's what's so special about the game. The girls really got involved with it, and I had to be pulled away for press, but it looked like it was a lot of fun!"
JOHN MITCHELL: "I can't speak for her emotions, her feelings. But if I know her and her family, it would have been special. I think she's smart enough to regulate beyond that, though, because our environment is very good in that way. So I think she's had enough Test experience now to understand that you can't just play the game or be driven by by that connection.
"She's a young woman, young athlete that's maturing every day. I can't speak for her, thinking that at any point did it 'get in the road' [become a distraction] or how special that was for her. I'm sure she'll see her Dad later, and she'll be able to embrace him."
Statement made to Australia - England's All Time Record Women's Rugby World Cup win
The overarching headline to come out of this match, was the significant statistic of England winning by their heaviest margin in their Women's Rugby World Cup history. If there was ever a statement made to Australia as to who will be topping Pool A, this was it, as England flexed their try-scoring muscles a week after the Wallaroos pinned 73 points upon Samoa in Manchester.
'Anything you can do, I can do better', felt like an appropriate tune for the Red Roses to sing as they laid down the marker to Jo Yapp's side ahead of next Saturday's clash in Brighton. Whilst the accolade was an impressive one for the rugby statisticians to enjoy, England captain Marlie Packer was less concerned about the margin of victory, with the 'W' being the most important part of the trip to the East Midlands.
MARLIE PACKER: "Sorry, I didn't know it was an all time record win. But, it's always an honour to Captain your country. I think that for me, it's not about the record win. It's about us putting on a good performance, a performance that we're proud of as a squad, in putting the team the best stead for the rest of the tournament."
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