England vow to respond after Canada end historic unbeaten streak

Red Roses captain Megan Jones has sworn England will respond after their first defeat in 42 Tests matches.

On Friday night, a second-half resurgence saw Canada end England’s four-year unbeaten streak with a 24-21 win at Toronto’s BMO Field in WXV Global Series action.

A raucous home crowd set the scene in the second of three Tests the two teams are playing this autumn. The first game in Exeter ended 26-26, with England now only able to draw the series before ending their campaign at New Jersey’s Sports Illustrated Stadium against the USA Women’s Eagles.

Pushed hard in each of their Test matches, England came unstuck as Canada’s physicality pushed the visitors to their limit and helped Kévin Rouet’s side achieve their ambition of beating their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final opponents.

“The bit we always remember is, we’re at the top, and when you’re at the top, people want to bring you down as quickly as they can,” Jones said. “So you’ll always have a target on your back.

“Our aim is to continue to improve, to be better and to continue to be better. Our team is built on performances, and we always want to perform. We’re our own biggest critics when it comes to that.”

England will not have to wait long to get back to winning ways. Next Friday night, the Red Roses will take on Canada again, this time at Ottawa’s TD Place.

A first loss in just shy of four years means the make-up of England’s second week in Ontario will be a little different. Squad selection and the noise coming out of camp in the wake of defeat will be interpreted every which way.

Defeat also opens the door for England’s rivals. For an entire Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle, the Red Roses dominated. Now, at the start of the latest cycle, they have been felled. And others will want to do the same.

“We’ve been asking somebody to come and get us, and they’ve done that,” Mitchell said. “Not that we designed it to happen – far from it – but we’ve got to respond.

“Athletes as good as these girls will definitely be introspective. They’ll look at themselves, reflect on what’s happened and find something deeper and more meaningful to make sure they stay aligned with the big goal this team is working towards.

“We know that teams are coming out to beat us. They’re going to put their best foot forward. That’s the nature of it, so we need to make sure we put our best foot forward as well.”

One thing that set Friday night’s fixture apart was the atmosphere. The Canadians were boisterous and loud, and the cameras shook when the hosts crashed over the whitewash.

Mitchell even claimed that his coaching staff struggled to communicate because of the noise made by the 18,621 supporters at BMO Field.

It was a showpiece occasion for women’s rugby in North America. Not just Canada. For the Red Roses, it was an entirely different visceral experience for the senses.

TD Place will, invariably, offer a different experience next Friday night, but one that provides the opportunity to get back to winning ways at the first time of asking.

“How blessed are we to have the biggest highs and the lowest lows?” Jones said. “I think that’s sport in a nutshell, and it’s such an honour to be able to have those experiences.

“The biggest thing is that we stick together. The game is built on moments. There’s not one individual, and it’s not one moment. It’s multiple. That’s the beauty of it. We get to review it, go again next weekend and stick together.”