Red Roses vs USA: Moloney-MacDonald scored four in 55–12 win

The Red Roses vs USA match at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, finished USA 12–55 England on Friday 30 October 2026, with England scoring nine tries to end a two-match losing run. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald scored four of them and was named player of the match, and the half-time score was USA 7–17 England in the last match of their WXV Global Series campaign.

How the Red Roses vs USA match was won

England scored nine tries to two. Moloney-MacDonald scored twice inside the opening quarter, both in the same corner, the second from a looping mis-pass by Holly Aitchison.

An obstruction call at a line-out denied Kathryn Treder a maul try at the end of the opening quarter. Hope Rogers, the prop, powered over from close range five minutes later, and Vogel converted. Meg Jones, the captain, scored on 30 minutes after a burst to the line by full-back Emma Sing, and England turned round with the score at USA 7–17 England.

Moloney-MacDonald’s third came three minutes after the change of ends. Her fourth followed a carry from Sadia Kabeya and a skip pass from Jones shortly before the 50-minute mark.

Mia Venner scored on the hour. Replacement hooker Bryony Field scored in the 69th minute off the back of a lineout maul, shortly after USA replacement prop Mona Lisa Tupou was sin-binned for repeat scrum penalties. Maddie Feaunati scored three minutes later, and Kabeya scored three minutes from time, moments after a forward pass from Hannah Botterman denied fellow prop Sarah Bern.

Kate Zackary, a replacement back, scored with the clock in the red after a penalty into the corner. Emma Sing converted two of England’s tries and Zoe Harrison three. The full sequence is in World Rugby’s match report.

England’s nine tries

• Moloney-MacDonald, inside the opening quarter, from the corner
• Moloney-MacDonald, inside the opening quarter, from the same corner off a looping mis-pass by Holly Aitchison
• Meg Jones, 30 minutes, after Sing’s break
• Moloney-MacDonald, three minutes after the change of ends
• Moloney-MacDonald, shortly before the 50-minute mark, from Kabeya’s carry and Jones’s skip pass
• Mia Venner, on the hour
• Bryony Field, 69 minutes, from a lineout maul
• Maddie Feaunati, three minutes after Field’s try
• Sadia Kabeya, three minutes from time

Emma Sing converted two of the nine and Zoe Harrison three. For the USA, Hope Rogers and Kate Zackary scored tries and Vogel added one conversion.

Kildunne came off the bench again

Ellie Kildunne was named on the bench again for the Red Roses vs USA match, wearing 23, and she came off the bench. John Mitchell addressed the selection before kick-off.

“We’re rotating some positions this week to refresh the group, create opportunities and continue building our depth,” Mitchell said before the match. “Selection is driven by what the team needs against the USA, the behaviours we value and the performance we’re preparing to deliver.”

Kildunne had been left out of the side beaten by Canada, when Mitchell said she needed to show “greater consistency”. Emma Sing kept the number 15 shirt, and Sing’s break set up Jones for England’s third try.

England made six changes for the match. Tatyana Heard, Moloney-MacDonald, Flo Robinson and Holly Aitchison came into the backs, and Mackenzie Carson and Maud Muir came into the front row in place of Hannah Botterman and Sarah Bern, who moved to the replacements. Moloney-MacDonald started on the wing and finished with four tries.

What the win meant for England

The Red Roses vs USA result ended back-to-back Test defeats by Canada, England’s first successive defeats since 2016. Their 41-Test unbeaten run had gone in Toronto, and they had lost again a week later.

It was England’s 11th Test of 2026 and their last match of the WXV Global Series. Their next Test is the Women’s Six Nations in April. Mitchell had said beforehand that there were six months until it. “We have a far greater purpose than losing one Test match,” he said before kick-off.

The USA had won five matches in a row, their best run in 20 years, and were unbeaten in their first four matches of the WXV Global Series. England beat the USA 69–7 at the Stadium of Light in their 2025 World Cup opener.

Jack Hanratty, the USA head coach, had said of England before kick-off: “I don’t think they’re going to try new things.”

The England line-up that played the USA

No.	Starting XV	No.	Replacements
15	Emma Sing	16	Bryony Field
14	Mia Venner	17	Hannah Botterman
13	Meg Jones (captain)	18	Sarah Bern
12	Tatyana Heard	19	Demelza Short
11	Claudia Moloney-MacDonald	20	Alex Matthews
10	Holly Aitchison	21	Natasha Hunt
9	Flo Robinson	22	Zoe Harrison
1	Mackenzie Carson	23	Ellie Kildunne
2	Amy Cokayne
3	Maud Muir
4	Morwenna Talling
5	Lilli Ives Campion
6	Abi Burton
7	Sadia Kabeya
8	Maddie Feaunati

Red Roses vs USA: your questions answered

What was the score in Red Roses vs USA?

England won 55–12. The Red Roses vs USA scoreline read USA 12–55 England, with England scoring nine tries to two and leading 17–7 at half-time (USA 7–17 England).

How many tries did Claudia Moloney-MacDonald score?

Four. She scored twice inside the opening quarter, a third three minutes after the change of ends and a fourth shortly before the 50-minute mark. She was named player of the match in the Red Roses vs USA match.

Did Ellie Kildunne start for the Red Roses?

No. She was named on the bench again, wearing 23, and she came off the bench in the Red Roses vs USA match. Emma Sing kept the number 15 shirt.