Canada stun England again as Red Roses suffer rare back-to-back defeats

Canada beat England 31-22 in Ottawa to hand the Red Roses back-to-back defeats for the first time in a decade, a result Guardian Rugby Union described as a formidable statement to the rest of world rugby.

The Associated Press, via Yahoo Sports, reported it as England's first losing streak since July 2016, while Guardian Rugby Union noted it was only the team's third defeat in their past 74 matches.

The result followed a bruising five weeks for England at Canadian hands: a 26-26 draw in Exeter ended their record 39-match winning run, before Canada's win in Toronto stopped a 41-match unbeaten sequence, according to AP.

England made the brighter start in front of 13,117 spectators, with number eight Maddie Feaunati scoring between the posts, but Canada responded quickly through flanker Julia Omokhuale from a tap penalty and a try for captain Sophie de Goede created by Gabrielle Senft.

AP reported that England then lost four consecutive balls in contact inside Canada's half, with hooker Sarah Bern held up over the line as Canada led 12-7 at half-time.

Amy Cokayne's try from a 20-metre rolling maul edged England 17-12 ahead, but Canada answered with three tries in quick succession around the hour mark: de Goede's second, prop DaLeaka Menin from a lineout drive, and a 55-metre solo run from fullback Savannah Bauder that put the hosts 31-17 clear, AP said. Canada conceded five scrum penalties in the process.

England did not score again until the closing moments, finishing 31-22 down despite Guardian Rugby Union's assessment that de Goede's hat-trick and defensive work underlined why she is reigning world player of the year, with Omokhuale also singled out for a strong performance.

Ruck reported that the defeat came under head coach John Mitchell, and cited RugbyPass's assessment of several England players, including full-back Ellie Kildunne, as particularly critical.

Guardian Rugby Union said captain Meg Jones, who turned 30 on the day of the match, was imperious in defence, while Feaunati impressed again in the hour she was on the pitch.

De Goede, quoted by AP, said: "It's so amazing. It shows we can consistently perform at this level and now we just need to do it for another two, three years to the next World Cup (in 2029 in Australia)."

Jones offered a measured response to the second successive loss, telling AP: "We're not broken, we just need to grow from this."

England close out their WXV Global Series campaign against the USA next Friday, looking for a reaction after Guardian Rugby Union described the performance in Ottawa as scrappy and hesitant following a confident opening.