Wallaroos star Karpani backs underdog Australia to pressure England in Salford WXV opener

Eva Karpani has declared the pressure firmly on world champions England ahead of Australia’s WXV Global Series opener against the Red Roses in Salford on Saturday, with the 46-capped Wallaroos forward named on the bench for the match.

“I think the pressure is on them. We’ve got nothing to lose,” Karpani said following the squad announcement on Thursday. “We know that we need to perform and we’ve got a game plan and we all buy into it. I just think we need to stick to our own individual processes and do our role and the rest will come together.”

The match is the first of three fixtures on Australia’s WXV tour, with games against France and Scotland to follow. For Karpani, returning to the north of England carries its own significance — she last played in the region when the Wallaroos defeated Samoa 73-0 at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in Manchester.

Despite England’s status as heavy favourites, Australia have genuine cause for confidence rooted in recent history. When the two sides met in the Women’s Rugby World Cup pool stages last year, the Wallaroos led and dominated possession for the opening 30 minutes, stealing three lineouts and a scrum and controlling nearly 70 per cent of first-half ball. England ultimately asserted their class after the break, scoring four second-half tries to win 47-7, but the blueprint from that first half has not been forgotten.

“The memorable moments were just all buying in and sticking to the game plan,” Karpani reflected. “When we did start the game, it was just to really, really give it to them. Start the game a lot more physical. I think it was just being present.”

The focus this time, she says, is sustaining that level across a full 80 minutes rather than a single half. “This year, it’s just having that consistent set-piece across the whole 80 minutes, in the first half and in the second half. If we can start and finish the way we did start last year…”

Australia’s coaching staff have loaded the bench with experience to support that ambition. Karpani is joined among the replacements by Emily Chancellor, Piper Duck, Cecilia Smith, and Tia Hinds — a combined total of nearly 200 caps — with the strategy appearing to be holding parity through the first half before unleashing their most experienced players to influence the outcome late on.

The Wallaroos’ tour continues after Salford with fixtures against France and Scotland, giving the squad the opportunity to build on whatever foundation is laid this weekend.