Rob Hawkins scored five tries as England crushed Australia 86-18 in the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup semi-final. England prepare for a fifth successive final, fourth in a row against France. They aim to defend the title won four years ago in a narrow 28-24 Manchester victory.
Nathan Collins provided many of Hawkins' try-scoring opportunities, praising the halfback's role. England dominated with 15 tries against Australia. Hawkins' best try came from a long-range kick, which he grounded millimetres from the dead-ball line despite pressure from Adam Tannock.
Despite the victory, Hawkins rated England's performance a six or seven out of ten, stating the best is yet to come. Nathan Collins, born with dwarfism, overcame being told he was too small for running rugby to become a wheelchair rugby league veteran. This will be his third World Cup final, having won one and lost one.
England will face France in the final at 08:45 GMT on Friday at WIN Entertainment Centre. England must repeat their dominant performance and stick to coach Tom Coyd's process to beat the only other nation to win the world title. The squad hopes to see the wall of white-shirted fans again.
England will hope the final pits only French players against them, following bizarre scenes involving referee Laurent Abrial in 2022, who was suspended for unacceptable behaviour.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing