'first-class' Breach Stars For 'one Team' England

Different team, aforesaid result.

Even pinch John Mitchell making 13 changes to his starting XV, World Cup favourites England demolished amateur broadside Samoa successful Northampton.

The world's number one-ranked squad were ever expected to triumph big, nan mobility was really big.

Given Samoa's part-time players had to crowdfund to return their spot successful nan tourney and are nan 2nd lowest classed broadside successful nan tourney successful 15th, a grounds 92-3 Women's World Cup win for afloat master England came arsenic nary surprise.

The triumph besides seals England's spot successful nan knockout stages, which was nan number 1 extremity anterior to kick-off.

"It's not astir comparing nan line-ups, we are 1 squad and 1 circle," Mitchell told BBC Sport.

"You tin get loose erstwhile nan scoreboard builds but we didn't do that. I americium thrilled pinch nan performance.

"We could prime anyone astatine nan extremity of nan day, we will request everyone because nan wounded gods haven't been benignant to us."

Samoa are appearing astatine their first Women's Rugby World Cup since 2014 and came into nan crippled disconnected nan backmost of a 73-0 conclusion by Australia.

Given nan anemic opposition, it was an perfect chance for England's backline stars to shine.

Utility backmost Helena Rowland proved a much than tin back-up fly-half arsenic she scored 27 points to break nan individual grounds successful a Women's World Cup game.

It was not conscionable nan points but Rowland's kicking from manus that stood out, pinch aggregate fantabulous clearance kicks.

Her half-back partner Lucy Packer scored a crisp effort from nan guidelines of nan ruck and her accelerated work helped springiness Rowland clip to get nan backline moving.

Megan Jones continued her good shape successful nan centre, scoring 2 well-taken tries, while title connected nan helping continues to power up.

Jess Breach, 1 of nan 2 players to clasp their spot from nan 69-7 triumph complete nan United States, bagged a hat-trick to measurement up her bid to nail down a starting spot connected nan wing.

Claudia Moloney-MacDonald took Breach's spot for nan Women's Six Nations Grand Slam decider successful April, but has since dropped retired of nan broadside aft a hamstring wounded delayed her mentation and commencement to nan World Cup.

The 29-year-old returned successful Northampton and scored nan last effort of nan game, but had a mixed show compared to nan lethal Breach, who now has 52 tries successful 49 caps.

"Jess put connected an absolute first-class helping performance," erstwhile England caput coach Simon Middleton told BBC Sport.

"She stood up her opposing wing, went looking for activity and popped up each complete nan section and responded to nan situation of nan players astir her competing for nan shirt."

A hep wounded to Breach successful November meant she lacked lucifer fittingness heading into nan Six Nations, wherever she grounded to score.

Now backmost up to speed, Breach has bagged 5 tries successful 2 World Cup games.

"I americium backmost and really enjoying my rugby, I americium emotion nan fittest I person ever done," Breach told BBC Sport.

"The full squad is competitory and that is bully and that is why we are nan number 1 squad successful nan world. It is friends title arsenic everyone knows their spot successful nan squad."

That return to shape was summed up by a searing break successful nan 2nd half, wherever nan England helping almost ran half nan transportation to people aft immoderate nifty footwork.

"She came adjacent to scoring nan effort of nan tourney but her correct toed touched nan line," New Zealand helping Ruby Tui told BBC Sport.

"She was afloat of assurance and you could spot that nan measurement she worked disconnected her wing."

Abby Dow has ever been first prime connected nan correct helping nether Mitchell, leaving Moloney-MacDonald battling Breach for nan last starting helping spot.

Following a 2nd cervix wounded successful February 2024, nan thought of playing again was a immense inquire for Moloney-MacDonald, who said she was "terrified to beryllium anyplace adjacent a rugby pitch".

"When I look backmost it is unbelievable, to deliberation a twelvemonth a spell I was frightened to move up to training because I didn't want to get deed by a ball. I americium conscionable proud to beryllium present successful nan moment," Moloney-MacDonald told BBC Sport.

"To beryllium astatine nan apical of your crippled you person to ever beryllium competitory and want to conflict for nan shirt."

With nan people 47-0, Samoa registered their first points of nan World Cup done nan footwear of Harmony Vatau.

The Pacific Island broadside grounded to suffice for nan past 2 World Cups and person not won a crippled successful nan tourney since 2006.

Vatau's footwear was greeted pinch immense celebrations from nan players and supporters to signify their return connected nan biggest stage.

"I did [smile erstwhile we sewage points], initially I wanted america to pat and spell but we talked astir getting immoderate points which we did and we avoided that zero," Samoa caput coach Ramsey Tomokino told BBC Sport.

"But a extremity was to transverse that statement and we didn't."

Tomokino handed 8 players their World Cup debut against England, pinch immoderate of his squad taking unpaid time off from their jobs to play successful nan tournament.

A last crippled against nan United States adjacent Saturday successful York could supply nan champion chance for a first effort successful nan tourney since 2014.

"We request much rugby successful Samoa, we request to beryllium portion of a master competition, that would thief us," Tomokino added.

"Our players are dispersed retired astir nan world.

"It would beryllium awesome to spell to York and get a win, we will beryllium targeting that. We person rotated our players because each of our players merit to play."