Late try gives England win over New Zealand, extends unbeaten run to 41

LONDON, Sept 26 - England's women's rugby team got back to winning ways with a 26-19 victory over New Zealand at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, extending the Red Roses' unbeaten run to 41 tests a week after Canada ended their 39-match winning streak with a draw.

In a clash between the world's top two ranked teams, England needed a late try from flyhalf Zoe Harrison to win before nearly 60,000 fans and maintain an unbeaten run stretching back to their World Cup final defeat by hosts New Zealand in 2022.

Harrison provided the decisive moment when she intercepted a New Zealand pass and raced over for the winning try in the 82nd minute before converting it. The flyhalf, who finished with 11 points, said she barely had time to celebrate.

"I nearly suffocated at the bottom of the pile-on and I was screaming for them to get off me because I still had to go and kick," she told the BBC.

Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach also scored tries in England's positive response to last week's 26-26 draw with Canada.

England head coach John Mitchell, a New Zealander, welcomed the manner of the victory after his side had been tested by Canada and the Black Ferns in successive weeks.

"The Red Roses don't play New Zealand and Canada often. It's important to learn how to win tight test matches," he said.

Amy du Plessis, Ayesha Leti-I'iga and Mererangi Paul replied for New Zealand.

"I'm just immensely proud," New Zealand captain Georgia Ponsonby said. "It was a hell of a test match, everything we could have hoped for and more. We came so close. Gutted we came so close and fell short."

England now travel to Canada to complete their three-test series against the World Cup runners-up in Toronto and Ottawa. REUTERS