Talling vows England will respond after Canada ends 41-match unbeaten run

Canada ended England’s 41-match unbeaten run with a 24-21 victory at BMO Field in Toronto last weekend, watched by a record crowd of 18,621 — and Red Roses back row Morwenna Talling admits the loss stung, but insists England are ready to respond when the two sides meet again in the WXV Global Series.

“It’s a bit gutting but it was going to have to come to an end,” said Talling, who made her England debut in a 54-0 win over Italy in 2020 and has been a regular in the squad ever since. “I’m so grateful to have been a part of that period of time when we did win all those games.”

For a generation of Red Roses players who have known little but victory in an England shirt, the defeat in Toronto represented unfamiliar territory. Talling acknowledged the shift it has created within the camp, while insisting the squad’s core processes remain intact.

“We’ve always had the opportunity to win and then go on and back that win up with another win,” she said. “This time it’s different. It allows us to respond to something we’ve never responded to before.”

The 24-year-old identified execution as the key area England must sharpen heading into the rematch. “Being able to execute when we go score and finish the pressure we build is probably the biggest thing going into this weekend. We did have that pressure on Canada, but we let ourselves down in that area. We know what we do does work, so it’s just that execution piece.”

Off the pitch, Talling stressed the importance of keeping the squad united through the setback, pointing to a group dinner and a team outing to an ice hockey game as examples of the bond England are maintaining. “I think it’s really important to stick to that and keep bonding,” she said.

England still have fixtures against Australia, New Zealand’s Black Ferns, and the USA to come in the WXV Global Series, and Talling welcomed the opportunity to test the squad against the world’s best in quick succession. “We always want to challenge ourselves against the best,” she said, “and it’s only going to make the game better and grow everyone individually and as a team.”