England captain George Williams says his side will relish their underdog tag when they open their Rugby League World Cup campaign against a powerful Tonga side in Perth on Saturday. England defeated the Pacific Islanders 3-0 in a hard-fought Test series at home three years ago, and edged a dramatic World Cup semi-final in Auckland in 2017.
England have already suffered a blow with the withdrawal of Morgan Smithies through injury, and have made a late change to their starting line-up, with Luke Thompson replacing the absent Morgan Knowles. With humidity expected to be above 60% inside HBF Park, Williams expects a tough start against a Tonga side who have evolved since 2023 and are packed with NRL talent.
"Tonga are a stacked team. They have been for a few years now," Williams said. "We'll be underdogs but we'll quite like that kind of brush on our head and we'll bring our game tomorrow night against a great team."
England's recent World Cup history is one of heartache. They lost a golden-point match to Samoa in the 2022 semi-final and were beaten 6-0 by Australia in the 2017 final. Williams, 31, dismissed any idea that this baggage could hold the group back under head coach Brian Mc Dermott, saying the mix of youth, heritage and experience can work together to get the job done.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing