Zoe Harrison’s last-gasp interception gives England 26-19 WXV win over New Zealand
Zoe Harrison scored a last-gasp interception try to give England a 26-19 victory over New Zealand at Twickenham in the WXV Global Series on 26 September 2026. The decisive score came with the clock in the red after Harrison had earlier missed a match-clinching penalty.
A crowd of 59,871 rose to their feet as Harrison crossed, the noise matching the full-time reaction of last year’s Rugby World Cup final. The match, played in hot and humid conditions at Twickenham, followed England’s draw with Canada the previous Saturday and preserved the Red Roses’ unbeaten streak in the WXV Global Series. New Zealand arrived having won their past eight matches and were the last side to beat England in 2022.
Tension began before kick-off when the haka was met by an England response: the visitors stood in a V shape facing New Zealand before walking towards them to form a united line. The early periods belonged to the Black Ferns, with Ayesha Leti-I’iga having an early try ruled out, but England opened the scoring after a sustained attack sparked by a 40m break from Maddie Feaunati finished by Claudia Moloney-MacDonald. Amy Du Plessis then produced a first-half score after catching a long ball from Lucy Packer, kicking from the halfway line and chasing to the corner, and Leti-I’iga later crossed as New Zealand led at the interval.
The second half swung back in England’s favour when Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach combined early to put the full-back over. Lucy Packer, having been impressive in defence, went off after a high tackle and was replaced by Abi Burton while Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu received a yellow card; a player advantage saw England score again through Breach. Replacement prop Hannah Botterman earned penalties for England, but New Zealand replied through Mererangi Paul and Braxton Sorensen-McGee’s penalty levelled the game at 19-19.
Individual performances punctuated the Test: Maddie Feaunati, who qualified for New Zealand but opted for the England jersey in 2024, made lengthy breaks and turned over ball in defence at No 8 and was singled out as a highlight for John Mitchell’s side. Marlie Packer had been promoted from the bench shortly before kick-off because of an injury to Sadia Kabeya and produced a promising outing before being forced off with an injury of her own. Amy Du Plessis’s combination of physical defence and inventive attack was noted as a bright spark for New Zealand.
With the scores tied after Sorensen-McGee’s penalty, Harrison’s interception in the closing moments ended the prospect of another draw and secured England the win. The decisive try drew ear-bursting cheers from the Twickenham crowd and completed a dramatic finish to the Test.
Harrison’s score prevented a second successive draw following the Canada game and kept England’s unbeaten run in the WXV Global Series intact.