England thrash France to keep alive World Cup hopes
England's rugby league team secured a dominant 82-0 victory over France to keep their World Cup semi-final hopes alive. The team now faces a must-win match against Papua New Guinea to progress.
Why it matters
The result significantly impacts the tournament standings and demonstrates England's recovery after an initial loss to Tonga.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Herbie Farnworth scored England's first World Cup hat-trick since Tommy Makinson against Papua New Guinea in 2022
Tries : Farnworth 3, Young 3, Lewis 2, Ashton, Williams, Radley, Litten, Welsby, Brimson Goals : Savala 13
After losing their opener, then watching Tonga and Samoa rack up huge victories, England knew only a massive win over France in Perth would keep alive their World Cup dreams.
Mission accomplished: 82-0. But they still require a lot of work and a pinch of luck to reach the semi-finals.
England needed this margin of victory following their 30-12 defeat by Tonga last Saturday.
They must do the same against Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on Friday - then hope Tonga beat Samoa next Sunday.
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