RECAP: England have muscled their way home against Australia for a 48-15 win in Manchester.
The English remain undefeated over the Wallaroos but the victory was anything but straightforward thanks to a much-improved Australian performance from their last outing.
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The Wallaroos stunned the near-sellout crowd to rattle the Red Roses in the first half, leading 10-5 at the break.
But the class of the world champions was clear, eventually breaking down the Australian defence to run in multiple unanswered tries.
Eva Karpani's late try gave Australia something to celebrate but England were too strong in the second half.
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England 48-15: Claudia Moloney-MacDonald caps off the win for England with a peach of a set play.
Launching off the scrum, the winger gets the ball in space and burns her defender for the try.
England 41-15: A well worked lineout move delivers Eva Karpani her 15th Test try.
Karpani breaks down the short side and bumps off her defender, powering her way over for the try.
England 41-10: The Aussies are hunting for a late consolation try as great work from Emily Chancellor and Piper Duck gets them off their line.
Faitala Moleka just can't find touch for a 50-22, somehow, with the Wallaroos still pressing.
Jemma Bemrose is on for her debut.
England 41-10: Lucy Packer snipes for the line and just manages to find the grass.
It comes off the back off a brutal rolling maul that goes close to 35 metres, dragged down just short for the scrumhalf to strike.
England 34-10: The Wallaroos stop a dangerous England attack after a misfired attack delivers the loose ball to the hosts.
A desperate scramble lets Australia reset, but they'll defend their line once again.
England 34-10: Sadia Kabeya gets in on the fun as the onslaught of points continues.
A pinpoint kick for touch puts England back on the attack, and whilst Australia stop the maul, they can't stop the English vice-captain from close.
England 27-10: England are running away with the game as Mia Venner is the latest to cross the line.
Venner is in a mile of space as the hosts throw the cut-out ball to cruise over the line.
It goes from bad to worse for Australia, Eva Karpani off for ten after a deliberate knock down following an Abi Burton 50m break that leaves the visitors scrambling for numbers.
England 22-10: Bryony Field crosses for a try on debut as England's pack is making the difference.
Hannah Botterman wins the penalty on halfway and then helped the hosts maul it over for the hooker to cross.
England 17-10: Meg Jones latches onto Holly Aitchison's grubber and glides over for a nice five pointer.
Excellent work from the milestone woman to notice the space and put the kick in behind for the skipper to dive over.
England 12-10: England are finally over through hooker May Campbell and their rolling maul
The Aussies have been valiant, but they can't stop the rolling maul, allowing Campbell to crash over for the final touch before coming off in a full change of the front-row.
Wallaroos 10-5: The Wallaroos are remaining tough in defence and keep forcing errors from England.
Twice England try to break through and cough it up, with the physicality of Australia really causing problems.
Faliki Pohiva comes off the field, replaced by Eva Karpani
Wallaroos 10-5: Emily Chancellor comes up clutch as the Wallaroos survive another attack on their 22.
Chancellor, on for Lily Bone after she failed a HIA, gets over the ball for the penalty, winning the call for holding on and the Aussies boot the ball into touch with the lead.
Concern for Faliki Pohiva as she is helped from the field at the break.
Wallaroos 10-5: The Wallaroos are rock solid in defence on their line.
Again, England get on their line, and they are repelled backwards, forcing the crucial mistake.
It happens minutes later, and the Aussies are fired up, stopping them five metres out.
Wallaroos 10-5: A bulldozing run from Faliki Pohiva suddenly gives Australia the lead against the run of play.
The Wallaroos turn defence into attack as Michaela Leonard steals the lineout on England's five metres line.
Pohiva then drives several English defenders over the line and plants it down.
England 5-3: England keep finding the numbers but no points as Australia are frustrating the hosts.
They strip the Aussies for numbers, with some great cover defence again forcing the error.
The Wallaroos are starting to play field position well, Sammy Wood putting it into the corner 10 metres out from England's line.
England 5-3: Sheer power from the Wallaroos delivers the rolling maul try for Brittany Merlo, but it's ruled out,
Merlo's throw just finds its target and she dots down, but the TMO intervenes for obstruction at the set-up from Siokapesi Palu Sekona and Bri Hoy.
The try is disallowed and a penalty to England, who sprint down the field and nearly score themselves, with the grubber to the winger trickling into touch.
England 5-3: The Wallaroos are refusing to dip their heads after the early five pointer as they win a penalty on England's 22.
Superb counter-rucking from the forwards and backs combine to force the infringement as Sammy Wood returns to the field.
England 5-3: Abi Burton gets over for the Red Roses after lovely hands from half the team get the back-rower to the line.
The backline go to work and expose the numbers as Holly Aitchison breaks through, drawing the defence in to set up the five pointer.
There's an apparent knock-on missed fromt he bae of the scrum three phases earlier, but the try stands.
Wallaroos 3-0: The earlier rain and physical start is showing as the teams trade handling errors.
England looking dangerous in attack as the Aussies have the answers for now.
Wallaroos 3-0: Dogged defence from the Wallaroos but they'll be without Samantha Wood for the next 10 after a deliberate knockdown.
England get back inside Australia's 22, and whilst it looks like Wood is going for the intercept, the referee disagrees and marches Wood.
The visitors defy the numbers and force the mistake after England bundle the lineout, pushing them backwards.
Wallaroos 3-0: Very lucky escape for the Aussies as their strong defence is eventually rewarded.
The visitors are charged down after turning over England on their line, with Meg Jones there to put it down. It's all too easy and there's a reason why: Jones is about three minutes offside so it's eventually brought back, even after the conversion.
Excellent defence from the Wallaroos to cause the turnover, but panic clearing their line sees Desiree Miller's kick charged down, leading to the denied try.
Wallaroos 3-0: Samantha Wood opens the scoring for Australia with a nicely slotted penalty.
It comes after Siokapesi Palu Sekona wins the ruck penalty, getting over the ball and the scrumhalf nails it from 30 metres out after some initial confusion.
The anthems are in the books and this game is underway!
Australia launches the ball long for some early territory as they look to apply the pressure, with some strong carries ending in a knock-on on the English 22.
Holly Aitchison leads the English out in her 50th Test match, with the Aussies stoic in their singing of the anthem.
Tries: Burton, Campbell, Jones, Field, Venner, Kabeya, L. Packer, Moloney-MacDonald,
Cons: Aitchison 1/4, Harrison 3/4
Pens:
Tries: Pohiva, Karpani
Cons: Wood 1/2
Pens: Wood 1/1
Welcome to Rugby.com.au's coverage of the Wallaroos' clash with England in Manchester.
A packed out crowd is expected at the home of the Sale Sharks, welcoming the Red Roses for the first time ever.
The Wallaroos are very familiar with the ground after last year's 73-0 win over Samoa to kick off their World Cup campaign, and they'll need a massive performance to take down the best in the world.
Conditions are forecast to be cloudy but hopefully dry throughout the 80 minutes, with a little bit of rain around the area.
England (15-1): Ellie Kildunne, Mia Venner, Megan Jones (c), Tatyana Heard, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, Holly Aitchison, Natasha Hunt, Maddie Feaunati, Sadia Kabeya, Abi Burton, Lilli Ives Campion, Delaney Burns, Sarah Bern, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson
Replacements: Bryony Field, Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir, Morwenna Talling, Marlie Packer, Lucy Packer, Zoe Harrison, Helena Rowland.
Wallaroos (15-1): Caitlyn Halse, Amelia Whitaker, Georgina Friedrichs, Faitala Moleka, Desiree Miller, Waiaria Ellis, Samantha Wood, Siokapesi Palu Sekona, Lily Bone, Pia Tapsell, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Faliki Pohiva, Brittany Merlo, Brianna Hoy
Replacements: Tania Naden, Allana Sikimeti, Eva Karpani, Jemma Bemrose, Piper Duck, Emily Chancellor, Tia Hinds, Cecilia Smith
The Red Roses' clash with the Wallaroos will be shown LIVE on Stan Sport.
Coverage will be live and ad-free on Stan Sport, slated to start at 11:50 pm (AEST) with kickoff expected at midnight.
