England had been on a historic winning streak in women's rugby, a run that began when John Mitchell took charge of the Red Roses midway through the 2023 WXV1 campaign. The team went on to win the Women's Rugby World Cup for the first time in 11 years, claiming victory in every game they played during that period. However, this record 39-game winning streak was finally broken by Canada, the 2023 World Cup finalists, in a thrilling 26-26 draw at Sandy Park last week. The Red Roses faced another test of their mettle when they welcomed New Zealand, who had gone unbeaten under new head coach Whitney Hansen, to Allianz Stadium. The game brought a sense of uncertainty that had been absent for a long time, as England aimed to avoid a repeat of their draw with Canada. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Braxton Sorensen-McGee of New Zealand scored a crucial conversion to level the game at 19-19, putting the Red Roses in a tense situation. This time, they managed to respond, with Zoe Harrison redeeming herself after a late penalty miss by scoring a dramatic intercept try in the final moments of the match. The victory came down to a fortunate break when New Zealand chose to run from deep, allowing England to capitalize on the opportunity. "We couldn't have a repeat of what happened against Canada last week," Harrison said. "A draw wasn't good enough, so we had to get the points somehow." New Zealand, ranked second in the world, remain the last team to defeat the Red Roses in a World Cup final in 2022. This season, England has struggled to maintain the same level of precision that led them to become world champions, and their defense has been inconsistent. Without key players like World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford, the Red Roses have faced challenges. "It's important to learn how to win tight Test matches," Mitchell said, emphasizing the need for growth in high-pressure situations. The new WXV Global Series, running from 2026 to 2028, will feature the top 12 teams in the world, providing more competitive matches before the 2029 World Cup. England has already faced the second and third-ranked teams and now travel to Canada to complete their three-Test series. "The game is getting better and better," said Red Roses captain Meg Jones. "We know there are going to be close games and we will compete as hard as we can." New Zealand have historically dominated England, winning five World Cup finals and once holding the top spot in the world. However, their recent performance has been mixed, especially after failing to reach last year's World Cup final. Despite a fourth consecutive loss to England, the Black Ferns are showing signs of improvement, thanks in part to increased investment in domestic rugby. "We didn't want a draw," said New Zealand head coach Whitney Hansen. "After watching last week, we knew we were going to fight to the death." With the British and Irish Lions women's team set to tour New Zealand in 2025, competitive series like this one are crucial for the success of the tour. England, likely to form a large part of the Lions squad, recently defeated New Zealand 49-31 in their most recent meeting in 2024. "People are starting to realize the context we are in," Mitchell said. "Even if we had lost, we were right up there." As the season progresses, the Red Roses are embracing the challenge of being pushed to the limit, extending their undefeated run just a little further.