Canada inflict back-to-back defeats on England Red Roses for first time in a decade

Canada beat England’s Red Roses 31-22 in Ottawa on Friday to complete back-to-back victories over the world champions — the first time in a decade that England have lost consecutive Test matches. The result followed the end of the Red Roses’ 41-game unbeaten run and raised fresh questions about a side accustomed to setting the standard in women’s rugby.

England captain Meg Jones was quick to push back on any suggestion of a deeper crisis. Speaking immediately after full-time, she insisted her team was “not broken”, and she maintained that defiance in the post-match press conference.

“I genuinely believe we’ve got the best players in the world,” Jones said. “When we’re firing, we’re genuinely unstoppable. Just look at what this team has done over the last decade. We’ve changed the game in magnitudes, multiplied crowds and brought attention to us.”

Jones also stressed the squad’s focus on the present rather than past glories or future anxiety. “High performance is based on what you do now. We don’t dwell on the past. We’re not anxious about the future. We’re focused on the present.”

The performance in Ottawa, however, offered Canada plenty to work with. Individual errors and a lack of intensity undermined England throughout, with Emma Sing losing possession three times and Jones herself missing six tackles. A midfield mix-up also gifted Canada captain Sophie de Goede her first try, helping the hosts seize control and expose the world champions’ shortcomings.

Head coach Mitchell pointed to execution as the critical failing, noting that England created enough opportunities to win but could not convert them when it mattered.

“Test matches of this quality, against the best teams in the world, always come down to execution,” Mitchell said. “We presented ourselves with many opportunities and we just didn’t quite execute when we needed to. That’s no one’s fault. It’s not a judgement; it’s purely the reality of what you receive when you don’t nail it.”

England now travel to New Jersey to face a USA Women’s Eagles side buoyed by the Red Roses’ struggles. For the current crop of England players, it represents an unfamiliar challenge — learning how to respond when the odds are no longer firmly in their favour.