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A list of England Rugby's heaviest defeats

12 Mar 2023

Dejection for England forwards as Australia pile on the points during the Cook Cup match at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Australia won 76-0. Mandatory Credit: David Rogers /Allsport

England Rugby’s heaviest defeats: The 53-10 scoreline in England’s devastating home defeat to France in the Guinness Six Nations has made the record books for all the wrong reasons.

It was their heaviest Six Nations defeat and their heaviest home defeat. It is also their third-biggest defeat of all time.

Here, with the help of Opta, RugbyPass gives a brief history of England Rugby’s heaviest defeats.

On June 6, 1998, under Clive Woodward, England suffered their biggest Test defeat when they faced Australia in Brisbane. The final score was 76-0 in favour of the hosts. This result remains England’s biggest defeat to date, although it was a largely second-string England selection.

England coaches (L to R) Clive Woodward, John Mitchell and Roger Uttley watch on during the Cook Cup match against Australia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Australia won 76-0. \ Mandatory Credit: David Rogers /Allsport

England’s second-biggest Test defeat came on May 26, 2007, when they faced South Africa in Bloemfontein. The final score was 58-10 to the Springboks. This result saw England lose by a margin of 48 points.

On June 20, 1998, England faced off against New Zealand in Dunedin. The All Blacks emerged victorious with a scoreline of 64-22, giving England a 42-point deficit and placing this defeat in fourth place on the list of all-time defeats.

England’s fifth-biggest defeat was on June 26, 2004, when they played against Australia in Brisbane. The Wallabies won the match 51-15, giving England a 36-point deficit.

The sixth-biggest defeat was at the hands of the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup. On September 14, 2007, England played against South Africa in the Stade de France. The match ended with a scoreline of 36-0 in favour of South Africa, giving England a 36-point deficit.

England’s seventh-biggest defeat was also against South Africa, this time on November 22, 2008, at Twickenham. The Springboks won the match 42-6, leaving England with a 36-point deficit. It was their second-heaviest home defeat, playing runner-up to Saturday’s catastrophe. Steve Borthwick was captain that day.

The second-heaviest defeat in the Six Nations took place on February 24, 2007, when England played against Ireland in a historic match at Croke Park, the home of the GAA. The final score was 43-13 in favor of Ireland, leaving England with a 30-point losing margin.

The third-heaviest defeat was on February 15, 1986, when England played against Scotland in Murrayfield. Scotland won the match 33-6.

The fourth-heaviest defeat in the Six Nations came on March 16, 2013, when England played against Wales at the Principality Stadium. The final score was 30-3.

The fifth-heaviest defeat in the Six Nations took place on February 26, 1972, when England played against France in Colombes. France won the match 37-12.

The third-heaviest home defeat occurred on November 29, 2008, when England played against New Zealand at Twickenham.