England 60 Wales 0: Stuart Barrow unconcerned about standard of opposition despite latest blowout result

England scored 11 tries in a 60-0 demolition of a Welsh side ranked ninth in the world to back up their 64-0 victory over France in April.

The Lionesses have not been tested since losing to New Zealand at the semi-final stage of last year's World Cup but Barrow is unconcerned about the lack of games against the heavyweights of the sport.

"Thankfully the RFL have promised us an Ashes series (against Australia) in 2025, the year before the World Cup," he said. "That'll be really important in our development.

"We got so much from today. I thought we were really poor in the first half but came out and responded really well in the second half.

"It was a really useful exercise. Whenever you play a Test match, it's always a very special moment for the players.

"I don't try and gauge how close we are to Australia and New Zealand; I look at our own progression.

"I think we're making strides and will be in a good place when the Ashes series comes around."

Leeds Rhinos centre Amy Hardcastle scored a double inside the opening 17 minutes before Shona Hoyle and Caitlin Beevers crossed to give the home side a commanding 20-0 half-time lead.

York Valkyrie pair Tara Stanley and Lacey Owen kicked off the second-half scoring and there was a try for former Rhinos half-back Georgia Roche on her Headingley return.

Stanley completed a brace and York centre Tamzin Renouf, Leeds hooker Keara Bennett and Emily Rudge all got in on the act in a one-sided rout.

It took England eight minutes to break the deadlock thanks to Hardcastle's finish in the corner with Wales outnumbered on their right edge.

Hardcastle soon made it a double, the powerful 34-year-old storming through a yawning gap after taking Roche's pass from a scrum play on the 20.

When Hoyle gleefully accepted an offload from Jodie Cunningham to score under the posts, Wales could have been forgiven for allowing their heads to drop.

But they began to fight fire with fire and had an opening when Vicky Molyneux was sin-binned in her final international outing.

Wales laid siege to the England line but could find no way through, Georgia Taylor spurning the best chance when she dropped Kathryn Salter's dipping pass with the tryline begging.

The hosts turned defence into attack thanks to a lung-busting run by Hardcastle.

Wales full-back Leanne Burnell denied Hardcastle a stunning length-of-the-field try with a desperate last-ditch tackle, only for Beevers to dive over from dummy-half on the next play.

The late first-half try knocked the stuffing out of the visitors and they had no answer to England after the restart.

Stanley jinked her way through inside the opening two minutes of the second half before putting club team-mate Owen over for a debut try.

Roche – fresh from winning the NRLW in her debut season with Newcastle Knights – demonstrated her class with a superb solo effort and turned provider to lay on Stanley's second try.

Hardcastle gave Renouf an easy finish before Bennett dummied her way over from acting-half.

Rudge completed the scoring in the final minute to round off a routine win for Barrow's side.

England: Stanley, Partington, Renouf, Hardcastle, Beevers, Jones, Roche, Hoyle, Bennett, Wood, Molyneux, Rudge, Cunningham. Substitutes: Peach, Whitfield, Hornby, Owen.

Wales: Burnell, Michael, Norkett-Morgan, Salter, Taylor, Marsh, Parker, Jones, Reardon, Carr, Jones, Mundy, Davies. Substitutes: Price, Evans, Jenkins, Gibbons.

Referee: Enzo Peyre (France).