Summary

  • Tries from Hannah Botterman, Ella Wyrwas, Marlie Packer and Jess Breach secured bonus point in comfortable win for England

  • England captain Packer and Megan Jones added further scores after half-time

  • Australia second row Annabelle Codey sent off for twice making shoulder contact to head of an England player

  • England and Australia among six teams in top tier of new women's global rugby union tournament

  • England will also play Canada and hosts New Zealand in first edition of WXV1

  1. England start with dominant winpublished at 09:26 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    FT: England 42-7 Australia

    So, England get their WXV1 campaign under way with a comfortable victory over Australia in Wellington - read the report by clicking on the link below...

    Otherwise, that's it from me for this live text commentary - thank you for joining me.

    Remember - it's the first Rugby World Cup semi-final between Argentina and New Zealand at 20:00 BST. Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live and follow it on the BBC Sport website and app.

    Bye for now!

    England begin WXV1 with six-try win over Australia

    England beat Australia 42-7 in Wellington to make a winning start to WXV1, the new global tournament in women's rugby.

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  2. 'We're excited to be playing the top teams'published at 09:25 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    FT: England 42-7 Australia

    England captain Marlie Packer, who scored two tries, speaking to ITV: "It was a great victory. The Aussies gave us a really good game.

    "We talk about courage and being courageous and we’re going to grow into this tournament and today was the start of that.

    "It’s a fantastic competition and we’re all excited to be here playing the top teams in the world, coming off the World Cup last year and keeping the legacy going in New Zealand.

    "I know the girls are really enjoying it over here. The camp is feeling really good we’re a new-look England side and enjoying the way we are playing.

    "We have new coaching staff and we're pleased that John Mitchell is here now and we’re looking to keep growing and building into next week’s game."

    Next week, it's a game against Canada for the Red Roses.

  3. 'We let ourselves down'published at 09:20 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    FT: England 42-7 Australia

    Australia captain Michaela Leonard, speaking to ITV: “It was definitely not the result we wanted but congratulations to England, they’re the number one team for a reason.

    "I’m proud of our girls, we know England are really strong in the set piece. Our execution let us down. When we got it right it worked so we will work on the execution for next week.

    "Every time we want to come away with a win and we believe we can do that. We let ourselves down tonight with the errors as they came from us rather than England forcing them, they were in our control."

  4. 'We're really pleased'published at 09:13 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    FT: England 42-7 Australia

    Player of the match, England's Holly Aitchison, speaking to ITV: “It was the first game so we wanted to make a good start and we’re really pleased with that.

    "Ella (Wyrwas) is a great player and it was a natural progression from club to the international stage for us.

    "After the World Cup it’s good to be back out here on New Zealand soil.

    "We were really happy with the first half but our momentum stalled in the second so that’ll be something we can focus on next week.”

  5. Postpublished at 09:07 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    FT: England 42-7 Australia

    Reaction on the way to that England win...

  6. Full-timepublished at 09:04 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    England 42-7 Australia

    England celebrate a try against AustraliaImage source, Getty Images

    Australia huff and puff in attack but again it's knocked-on as it goes wide and it's all over!

    England completed an impressive opening victory in the first match of the new WXV competition.

  7. Sin-bin: Sarah Beckett (England)published at 09:02 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    England 42-7 Australia

    Four penalties for offside in that Australia attack and Sarah Beckett is given the team yellow.

    We're in added time.

  8. Postpublished at 79 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    Still Australia come...

    They have penalty advantage.

  9. Postpublished at 77 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    Few errors creeping in and it's become a little stop-start.

    England knew they were going to win this a long time ago and Australia are battling gamely to score a second consolation try.

    They're close to the line again after and England knock-on.

  10. Postpublished at 74 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    A high tackle gives Australia another penalty to go into England territory.

    Credit to them, they have not conceded since going down to 14 on the hour mark.

    But attacking-wise it just hasn't fired.

    They can't win the line-out and another chance goes begging.

    Heading into the last five minutes - can England grab another try?

  11. Postpublished at 72 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    England's rolling maul advances about 20 metres up the pitch!

    Australia have struggled to cope with England's power all night.

  12. Postpublished at 70 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    Lauren Jenner makes a decisionImage source, World Rugby via Getty Images

    It's getting a bit loose as we go into the closing stages!

    England attack with penalty advantage with the speedy Jess Breach kicking forward but Cecilia Smith collects and beats a few tacklers going back the other way before losing it.

    There's a little bit of pushing and shoving all of a sudden - not seen much needle in this game and that kind of came out of nowhere! Work for referee Lauren Jenner to do to calm things down.

    It ends in an Australia penalty which they can kick to the corner.

    The line-out isn't straight - sums up the Wallaroos' night.

  13. Postpublished at 67 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    England poach the Australia line-out - not for the first time - and look to attack but then give away possession themselves.

    Fly-half Holly Aitchison is down getting treatment, England will hope it's not serious with the rest of the tournament in mind.

    She's been flawless from the tee today.

  14. Postpublished at 63 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    Australia are a player down but they are still having a proper go.

    Good work down the flank by Ivania Wong but she is stopped in her tracks and England seize the loose ball to clear downfield where they win a scrum.

  15. Postpublished at 60 mins

    England 42-7 Australia

    A great steal by Desiree Miller gets possession for Australia but fly-half Carys Dallinger looks hurt by a tackle by Sarah Beckett and needs a bit of treatment.

    She has to go off injured and is replaced by Cecilia Smith.

    Let's hope she's ok.

  16. Red card: Annabelle Codey (Australia)published at 08:32 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    England 42-7 Australia

    A second yellow means red.

    Codey was sin-binned in the first half and she's very upright in the tackle on Ella Wyrwas as she passed for the try.

    The referee says it is worthy of a second yellow and she will watch the remainder of the game from the sidelines.

    England will play the final quarter with an extra player.

  17. converted try

    Converted try: England 42-7 Australiapublished at 08:29 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Megan Jones

    Megan Jones scores a try for EnglandImage source, Getty Images

    Normal service resumed!

    Scrum-half Ella Wyrwas probes for a gap and then sends Megan Jones through it to score England's sixth.

    Holly Aitchison slots the conversion - as she always does.

    We're also checking a late tackle on Wyrwas after she passed...

  18. converted try

    Converted try: England 35-7 Australiapublished at 08:25 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Ashley Marsters (con Carys Dallinger)

    They're in!

    First points on the board for Australia as scrum-half Layne Morgan shows quick-thinking with a tap penalty before giving it to sub Ashley Marsters, who has only just come on, to cross the whitewash.

    England caught napping.

    Fly-half Carys Dallinger adds the extras.

  19. Postpublished at 53 mins

    England 35-0 Australia

    Marlie Packer gives away a penalty for going off her feet at the breakdown and Australia now have a chance to show what they can do with a line-out in England territory.

  20. converted try

    Converted try: England 35-0 Australiapublished at 08:22 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

    Marlie Packer (con Holly Aitchison)

    England celebrate a try against AustraliaImage source, Getty Images

    England's line-out maul is such a weapon and they use it well again with skipper Marlie Packer the beneficiary for her second of the night.

    Australia have no answer to it.

    Holly Aitchison knocks over her fifth conversion of the night with minimum fuss.