England are on the brink of a Rugby League World Cup exit despite a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea. Their points chase descended into a chaotic, error-strewn display that will almost certainly prove insufficient in the final reckoning.
England had never previously failed to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup — but that proud record is now hanging by a thread.
England 34-12 PNG: As It Happened
After an opening loss to Tonga, England’s objective was simple: win and win well. They achieved that against France with a crushing 82-0 triumph, and looked on course to eat into the 68-point deficit on Samoa when they raced to a 22-0 lead after 22 minutes, with tries from Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dominic Young and Harry Smith.
But despite head coach Brian McDermott urging patience, England fell apart. Repeated possession turnovers and conceded penalties let the Kumuls back in, with Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro crossing for PNG. England made 21 errors and finished with a dismal 57% completion rate.
What England Need Now to Survive
England can now only reach the last four if Tonga defeat Samoa by more than 46 points — a scenario that looks highly improbable, given Tonga lost 34-6 to Samoa 12 months ago and haven’t beaten their neighbours since 2018.
England players during the PNG win (Credits: BBC Sport)
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
