England’s head coach Simon Middleton has hailed the “magical moment” from Abby Dow that has set up a World Cup final showdown with New Zealand.
The Red Roses were staring down the barrel of a possible shock semi-final defeat to Canada until Dow’s 50th-minute wonder score which saw the winger complete a length-of-the-field counter attack to rank alongside the most spectacular tries by a European team at Eden Park.
Not since Jean Luc Sadourny’s famous ‘Try from the End of the World’ for France’s men’s side in 1994 has there been a more spectacular end-to-end visiting try at this hallowed venue, with Dow outpacing a clutch of Canadian pursuers in a thrilling 65-metre sprint to the line that helped to seal a 26-19 semi-final win.
Dow’s race to be fit for this tournament after breaking a leg in March made it all the more special in Middleton’s eyes. “It was just a great try‚ it was incredible,” said Middleton, whose squad now face a re-run of the 2017 final won by the Black Ferns. “We were absolutely under the pump and then they went and pulled that out.