England (36) 82-0 France (0) in Perth, keeping alive their Men's Rugby League World Cup semi‑final ambitions after a slow start. The win featured Herbie Farnworth hat‑trick, Dom Young also bagging a treble, while George Williams, AJ Brimson, Matty Ashton, Harry Smith, Jez Litten, Victor Radley, Jack Welsby, Mikey Lewis and Hugo Savala contributed tries. Savala’s 13/14 goals added 26 points. Despite six early errors, England’s 14‑try onslaught surpassed Samoa’s 74‑point margin, but they still trail the Samoans by 150 points on the table. A win over Papua New Guinea in Wollongong and luck in the final pool games are required. Coach’s focus is on tightening accuracy; the 82-0 result shows England’s potential but also the work needed before the knockout stage.
The victory was built on three tries in four first‑half minutes, then a surge of eight unanswered scores after the break. England’s 82-0 margin is the biggest win in World Cup history for the hosts, yet they remain far from perfect. They still need to avoid missing the last four for the first time ever.
Key figures: Herbie Farnworth, Dom Young, George Williams, AJ Brimson, 82-0.
Locations: Perth, Wollongong, Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing