England produced a dominant 70-6 victory over Wales in their opening game of the Women's Rugby League World Cup, with Connie Boyd and Anna Davies both scoring hat-tricks.
The Lionesses took the lead just four minutes in and never let up, crossing for 13 tries against a Welsh side that lacked quality in both attack and defence. Amelia Brown opened the scoring early, and Wales briefly levelled through former England international Paige Travis, marking their first World Cup try. That parity was short-lived, as Georgia Wilson and Connie Boyd quickly restored England's control, and Boyd scored on debut.
Isabel Rowe was another standout, finishing with a 26-point haul after two tries and nine successful conversions. England led 40-6 at half-time and added further tries after the break, including a sensational run from Brown that was widely described as the try of the day. Jenna Foubister's brilliant offload set up Boyd's hat-trick, and Davies completed her own treble in the closing minutes.
The result gives Stuart Barrow's side a strong platform in the pool stage ahead of a tough clash with Australia next Saturday. Wales, meanwhile, must respond quickly against Samoa if they hope to progress.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing