If rugby union were a sport that gave out marks for merit the judges would be holding up 10s for Heather Cowell, the former Great Britain junior tumbling gymnast turned rugby wing who ran in two first-half tries on a glittering international debut as the relentless Red Roses rolled over their latest opponents in a seven-try victory.
In the space of 14 days England have twice filleted New Zealand and now carved up Canada, the teams ranked No2 and No3 in the world, scoring 150 points, 22 tries and extending their winning streak to 17 matches over 28 months.
With the USA seemingly next for the chopping block on Sunday and the Red Roses cemented at world No 1 less than a year from the delayed World Cup, perhaps the only question is: who can challenge England?
The answer may have to wait until March and the Six Nations final round when England will face France, a team who added their own intrigue to the World Cup subplot by beating New Zealand 38-13 on Saturday.
Certainly the Maple Leafs asked England useful questions, at least in the first half, but eventually had no reply as England steamrollered to victory in front of a boisterous 6,310 crowd at The Stoop. Aside from Cowell’s eye-catching debut, the ever-smiling prop Sarah Bern also dazzled with two tries in a player-of-the-match performance that was explosive in attack and ferocious in defence. She put her dominant display down to a pre-match meal of jam on toast.
There were lessons for England along the way. Attacking play was sometimes rushed, the phases occasionally scrappy and the penalty count too high, Canada bringing a physicality that will be useful food for thought for Simon Middleton and his team.
“That was a tough game,” said the head coach. “We had to weather a bit of a storm and work out how to break them down in the first half, and in the second half we were outstanding.”
Sarah Hunter, returning to captain the side at flanker, echoed the sentiment. “It’s about how you respond to going behind. The great thing was we didn’t get flustered. We stayed composed and got back in the game.”
Cowell, the 25-year-old Harlequins wing playing at home, scored her and England’s first try four minutes into her international debut, touching down in the corner with her first touch of the match. “I just try to play the best rugby I can and if tries come that’s great,” she said modestly afterwards. “I like the competition for places and I want to earn the shirt.”
Middleton had said he expected a challenge from Canada and so it proved. After 21 minutes against the Black Ferns last week England were 21-0 up. But here they found themselves behind for the first time this autumn. Lagi Tuima couldn’t take a pass and Paige Farries, the Worcester wing, gleefully scooped up the ball to run in from 45 metres. The conversion left England 7-5 down. Game on.
England responded seven minutes later, setting it up with two of their trademarks: an immaculate lineout followed by a driving maul, teeing up the phases and allowing Bern to crash over for her first try. Zoe Harrison converted and soon after added three more points with a penalty.
Canada weren’t finished though, wing Sabrina Poulin dancing and weaving as England’s defence was caught napping to cross in the corner in a moment of individual brilliance. But England hit back, Cowell ending the half as she started it, scoring a try in the corner after another signature-dish driving maul had opened up space to exploit.
Two minutes into the second half Bern also had her second try, punching her way through tackles and, soon after, the scrum-half Claudia MacDonald went herself from a maul 20m out for England’s fifth try as Canada’s defensive dam burst.
Harrison added another penalty before replacement Alex Matthews dodged between tackles to run in under the posts for England’s sixth try of the day. There was still time for a seventh and MacDonald’s second as she went over in the corner, Harrison converting to bring up England’s half-century.
