Red Roses player ratings v Canada in Toronto | WXV Global Series 2026

There we have it. After four years, England’s Red Roses have seen their 41-match unbeaten run ended by Canada’s 24-21 win in Toronto.

It was a hard-fought WXV Global Series fixture played out by the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 finalists at BMO Field, but one the hosts won by virtue of Shoshanah Seumanutafa’s 77th minute try and excellent defensive resolve.

Here is how England’s players rated in their first defeat since 2022…

15. Ellie Kildunne – 5.5

A disappointing evening for Ellie Kildunne. The 2024 World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year turned the ball over more than any other England player – all four times in the opposition 22m as the Red Roses made surges for the whitewash. Did carry the ball for more metres than anyone else on the BMO Field turf, but did not get points on the board for her efforts.

14. Jess Breach – 5 

After delivering the decisive pass for Claudia Moloney-MacDonald’s disallowed try in the opening exchanges, we saw little else from Jess Breach in the game. Made seven tackles and over 20 metres from her sole carry.

13. Megan Jones – 5.5

Usually so involved in everything that England do, Megan Jones was remarkably quiet in Toronto. The Red Roses captain did not have a major influence on proceedings – apart from Zoe Harrison’s stint in the sin-bin when she took on kicking duties. Even so, England did not score when Harrison was not on the pitch. In total, Jones carried the ball eight times and made seven tackles.

12. Tatyana Heard – 5

Maybe not the return Tatyana Heard had envisaged for England. Dropped from the team for the Black Ferns game at Allianz Stadium, Heard was largely seen in defence and lodged 10 tackles when England did not have the ball and her eight carries only yielded 11 metres.

11. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald – 4.5

An unusual evening. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald’s first action of the game was knocking the ball on in the act of scoring. She turned the ball over two times, missed four tackles and conceded a penalty. Her five carries yielded 13 metres.

10. Zoe Harrison – 5.5

In the opening exchanges it felt like we were going to get a vintage Zoe Harrison performance. By full-time you could not say that was the case. Her kicks for territory, restarts and place-kicking was as metronomic as usual, but the Saracens fly-half did spend 10 first half minutes in the sin-bin as England racked up penalties.

9. Lucy Packer – 5

A very quiet afternoon for Lucy Packer. Something symptomatic of the entire England team. The scrum-half struggled to keep England moving forward and saw opportunities consistently wasted by her teammates.

1. Hannah Botterman – 6

Pretty well-rounded performance from the Bristol Bears loosehead. Hannah Botterman was solid at scrum time and was a useful tool in attack and defence.

2. Amy Cokayne – 6

It was a solid first game back from injury for Amy Cokayne. There was not much that the hooker did wrong on the occasion of her 96th cap and she did contribute to England’s 100% success rate at their own lineout – something the team has needed with Bryony Field and May Campell having led the way for September.

3. Sarah Bern – 6

Won the first scrum penalty of the game and continued to dominate from that point onwards. Was not seen as much with ball-in-hand but provided expertise at a set-piece that has not been as rock-solid as normal this autumn. Scored a try to keep England ahead early in the second half in an impressive display of explosiveness.

4. Morwenna Talling – 6

As per usual, Morwenna Talling was one of the stat toppers for the Red Roses, even in defeat. The lock made 18 tackles and 12 carries.

5. Lilli Ives Campion – 5

It was not Lilli Ives Campion’s afternoon. As we have come to expect from the 21-year-old lock, her lineout calling was strong, but that was the most impact she had on the game.

6. Abi Burton – 5.5

Abi Burton worked so hard for England in defeat. She made a joint-top 20 tackles in the game – her efforts only mirrored by that of Canada captain Sophie de Goede. The back-row made eight carries too, but for only eight metres.

7. Alex Matthews – 5

In total, Alex Matthews made 17 tackles at BMO Field on Friday night. The Red Roses veteran also made seven carries to make 28 metres. Like so many of her teammates, Matthews was smothered by the Canada defence and could not make a stamp on the game.

8. Maddie Feaunati – 5

It was a bright start from Maddie Feaunati that faded as the game went on. The Exeter Chiefs back-row made 21 metres from 12 carries and did register her team’s first try from the base of the scrum. As you have come to expect, her work-rate was relentless, albeit England did not benefit from it.

Replacements – 4.5

For so long, England’s bench has been their greatest secret weapon. On a cold Friday night in Toronto, one of the Red Roses’ greatest assets failed to land a significant punch and saw the visitors’ grasp on the fixture fade as Canada ended the world champions’ four-year unbeaten run.