Meg Jones admits England did themselves a 'disservice' in draw that ended 38-match winning run

England captain Meg Jones has conceded her side did themselves a “disservice” in their 26-26 draw with Canada during the WXV Global Series in September — a result that ended a 38-match unbeaten run stretching back to the Red Roses’ loss to the Black Ferns in the 2022 Rugby World Cup final.

The two sides meet again at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday night, the second of three scheduled Test matches between the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 finalists this calendar year. A third fixture follows the following week in Ottawa, before England travel to New Jersey to face the USA Women’s Eagles.

“I think we probably did ourselves a disservice in the first game,” Jones said. “The way we performed, I don’t think it was our optimal, so we’ll definitely have a point to prove in terms of our own performance. We want to build on it. We know we’ve got more to show.”

Despite the stalemate, Jones was keen to frame the result within a broader picture of continued ambition. “We’re still competing at a high level and we’re still the best in the world, but the fact that we’re still refining what we’re doing is a testament to us as a team and how far we want to go and push this game.”

John Mitchell’s squad receives a timely boost with the return of experienced hooker Amy Cokayne to the starting XV. Cokayne had missed September’s fixtures through injury.

Friday’s match is set to be played in front of a record crowd, with Rugby Canada predicting 18,000 supporters will attend — a new attendance record for a standalone women’s rugby fixture in North America.

Jones also framed the gruelling six-Test run across eight weeks as valuable preparation for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 in Australia, echoing sentiments expressed by head coach Mitchell in August.

“It’s a dress rehearsal for Australia, the next World Cup, and it means we can be away from home and really fine-tune what it’s going to be like,” Jones said. “This gives us an amazing opportunity to do that, going onto their home soil, their fans. We’re competitors and we always love competing and playing, so that’s the bit we love.”