England captain Fran Williams said her team were “far from our best” after a heavy defeat by defending Commonwealth champions Australia at The Hydro in Glasgow on Sunday. The Roses, who opened their Pool A campaign with an 83-34 victory over Northern Ireland on Saturday, were outplayed as Australia cruised to a 66-47 win.
Williams told BBC Radio 5 Live:
That's not the result we came for and not the performance,She added:
We didn't cope well with their physicality. It's really tough when a game blows out like that.
How did the match unfold?
Australia started strongly, racing into an 18-11 lead after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 56-35 by the end of the third. The defending champions maintained control through the final quarter to secure the win and leave England with a second game that highlighted the gap between the sides.
Sophie Garbin scored 41 goals from 42 attempts for Australia, while Olivia Tchine was England's highest scorer with 23 from 25. Eleanor Cardwell scored 10 goals from 13 attempts after coming on for the final quarter.
What does the result mean for England?
The defeat leaves England needing to regroup before facing Malawi at 14:00 BST on Monday. England, who won gold in 2018, failed to make the podium at Birmingham 2022, and their squad in Glasgow is short of Commonwealth Games experience.
Only two of the 12 players in the squad - Eleanor Cardwell and Imogen Allison - have experience in the Commonwealth Games after injuries to gold medallists Helen Housby and Natalie Metcalf, who withdrew with a calf injury on Monday. Jess Thirlby stepped down as head coach in March for family reasons, leaving assistant Anna Stembridge - head coach from 2011 to 2015 - in interim charge.
What else happened in the tournament?
Earlier on Sunday, Scotland picked up their first win in Pool B with a 56-47 victory over Wales. The result added to a busy day in the competition as teams continued their group-stage campaigns in Glasgow.
Key Facts
- England lost 66-47 to Australia at The Hydro in Glasgow on Sunday.
- England had beaten Northern Ireland 83-34 on Saturday in Pool A.
- Sophie Garbin scored 41 goals from 42 attempts for Australia.
- Olivia Tchine scored 23 from 25 for England, and Eleanor Cardwell scored 10 from 13 after coming on in the final quarter.
- England face Malawi at 14:00 BST on Monday.
