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How England reached their latest Rugby World Cup final

By PA
(Photo by Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)

England will face New Zealand in the women’s Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park on Saturday. The Red Roses are chasing a third world title, having won the tournament in 1994 and 2014, while New Zealand have triumphed on five occasions, with four of their victorious finals being against England. Here, the PA news agency looks at England’s route to the final in Auckland:

Pool C: England 84 Fiji 19
England arrived in New Zealand following a comprehensive tournament warm-up victory over Wales, and they continued their free-scoring form by brushing aside Fiji. Claudia MacDonald claimed four of England’s 14 tries as the Red Roses passed their previous-best points total in a World Cup game of 82, set against Kazakhstan 12 years ago.

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Pool C: England 13 France 7
The Red Roses knew France would provide comfortably their toughest pool stage test, and so it proved during a pulsating encounter in Whangarei. Centre Emily Scarratt scored all of England’s points through a try, conversion and two penalties, steering her team into pole position as potential Pool C winners.

Pool C: England 75 South Africa 0
England head coach Simon Middleton rang the changes for his squad’s final pool game – six players made their first tournament appearance – but another impressive and efficient display proved way too much for South Africa. Rosie Galligan and Connie Powell each scored try hat-tricks as the Red Roses cruised home.

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Quarter-final: England 41 Australia 5
Skipper Sarah Hunter became the most-capped player in English rugby union history, making her 138th Test match appearance as the Red Roses overcame testing wet conditions in Auckland to knock out Australia. Hunter scored England’s opening try, while her back-row colleague Marlie Packer touched down three times on a day when England’s forwards took charge.

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Semi-final: England 26 Canada 19
England recorded a 30th successive Test match victory, but they were made to fight every inch of the way before securing a place in the final. Wing Abby Dow scored two tries, including a brilliant individual effort, with Packer also touching down and Scarratt kicking 11 points that ultimately kept resilient opponents at bay.

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

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