Overview

• England opened with an 11-try, 69-7 win over the United States before a record 42,723 crowd in Sunderland, stretching their run to 28 victories.
• Head coach John Mitchell said England lifted their intensity after halftime and praised the pressure game and scrum that overwhelmed the USA.
• Canada routed Fiji 65-7 as fullback Julia Schell scored six second-half tries in 23 minutes, a personal surge that far outstripped her prior scoring record.
• Australia blanked Samoa 73-0, Scotland beat Wales 38-8 behind a Francesca McGhie hat-trick, and France shut out Italy 24-0 in a tough opener.
• England face Samoa next at Franklin’s Gardens, with Mitchell emphasizing respect for the opponent and cautioning that the unexpected can be dangerous.