England equalled the men’s Test record of 18 wins in a row with an 89-0 victory over USA at Worcester, tying England’s men and the All Blacks.
The Red Roses ran in five tries in the first half, as Vickii Cornborough and Lark Davies scored either side of some backline brilliance from Abby Dow and Lydia Thompson, with Leanne Infante getting the final score of the half.
The tries kept coming in the second half with Lagi Tuima, Zoe Aldcroft, Helena Rowland and Heather Cowell crossing in the first 12 minutes before replacements Sarah Bern and debutant Connie Powell scored with Thompson, Davies and Holly Aitchison and Bern again rounding off a 15-try victory.
Aldcroft’s captaincy got off to the perfect start as Cornborough went over inside two minutes, as Helena Rowland kicked the conversion having switched from 12 to 10 for the trip to Sixways.
In the week Abby Dow was nominated for World Rugby Try of the Year, the fullback scored another stunner, evading numerous tackles to sprint half the length of the pitch and get England’s second.
England were dominant in the scrum pushing USA back to their tryline, before the ball was worked out wide, this time Dow was not able to find a way through but offloaded to Thompson who went over on her 50th cap at her home ground.
It was then the Eagles’ turn to pile on the pressure as they looked to make amends for the home side’s fast start and they were helped out by several England errors, as Aldcroft was forced into a team talk
But England withstood the pressure and then went over through a rolling maul, Davies dotting down before Infante went over with a pick and go despite last-ditch defending from USA as England led 29-0 at half-time.
With less than a minute gone in the second half, Tuima went over for her first of the game, Rowland starting the move into the Eagles’ half as Tuima finished the move with pace.
Aldcroft spotted a gap and was unstoppable to the line to cap a phenomenal week for the World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year nominee.
Rowland made up for another missed conversion as she crossed the whitewash, sidestepping McKenzie Hawkins as she raced for the line, converting with a looping kick.
England passed the half-century mark as Cowell got her third try in two appearances before Bern got her third of the Autumn and Davies got another through a rolling maul just before being replaced by debutant Connie Powell.
More tries were then scored in milestone games as Thompson got her second before Powell went over to make a perfect start to her England career.
Aitchison intercepted a US ball to sprint to the tryline before Bern got another to give equal their greatest ever scoreline and inflict USA’s heaviest-ever defeat.
