How have Canada closed gap to world champions England?

Forty-one matches, nearly four years and one Rugby World Cup triumph - but the Red Roses' unbeaten streak is over.

It fell to the experienced Amy Cokayne to face the press this week after England lost their first match since 2022 against Canada.

"You can't dwell on it," said the Sale hooker, who has 95 international caps.

"We weren't a million miles away, so it's not like we have to completely throw the book out - nothing needs to massively change to the way we play."

As with every team in the women's game, the Red Roses have dominated Canada over recent years.

Before this autumn, the two teams had met seven times this decade. England had won every match, with an average victory margin of nearly 22 points.

But that rivalry is nowhere near as comfortable for the Red Roses now.

After a 26-26 draw at Exeter's Sandy Park in September, Canada ended England's long unbeaten run with a 24-21 victory in Toronto on Friday.

So how have Canada managed to close the gap on the world champions?

And how will the Red Roses react to their first loss under head coach John Mitchell?

When England and Canada met in last year's World Cup final, the hosts ultimately ran out comfortable winners in Twickenham.

But Canada were disappointed with their performance in defeat - and rightly so.

Canada's dismantling of New Zealand in the semi-finals - a performance bubbling with rapid-fire ruck speed and intricate, accurate handling - was the best display of any team in the tournament.

Canada have not been as consistent as England. They have suffered defeats by New Zealand and France this year. But at their best they are capable of a higher standard than any of the Red Roses' rivals.

With a record-breaking home crowd of 18,621 roaring them on in Toronto, in a match marketed as a chance for World Cup revenge, Canada came to the boil perfectly.

Beyond the emotional, there are also structural elements that Canada have right.

Head coach Kevin Rouet, along with plenty of his players, have been gaining experience in England's PWR.

While Canada lacks a professional women's domestic league, England's is the strongest in the world, giving Rouet's players a level of training and match experience they cannot find anywhere else.

Canada have brought in some exciting new talents since the last Rugby World Cup who will be interesting teams on this side of the Atlantic.

Number eight Lizzie Gibson made her Test debut in April and has been a hard-carrying option at the base of the scrum.

England have also been forced to blood new options.

With regular captain Zoe Stratford, second rows Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan, and back row Marlie Packer all absent, and wing Abby Dow retired, they have not got the same depth or experience of a year ago.

What is harder to discern than the on-pitch inaccuracies is the Red Roses' psychological state.

For so long, they have been out on their own at the top of the women's game.

For many of their fixtures over the past four years, they have set internal statistical goals to strive for, because victory was all but a given.

To find the motivation to push on uphill after summiting the mountain of a home World Cup is hard.

The squad rallied round to produce a backs-to-the-wall defence of their Six Nations title in the immediate aftermath, but perhaps this defeat is both a symptom of, and a cure for, a lack of obvious goals to chase.

The rematch of the rematch - on Friday in Ottawa - is surely the perfect fuel to fire up England.