By Fatma Younis
England's 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea in the Rugby League World Cup 2026 has left them on the brink of elimination, as the error-strewn performance is unlikely to overturn the points deficit needed to reach the semi-finals.
Match summary
England raced to a 22-0 lead after 22 minutes with tries from Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dominic Young and Harry Smith, but a series of handling errors and conceded penalties allowed Papua New Guinea to score through Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro. England finished with 21 errors and a 57% completion rate, a sharp contrast to their 82-0 demolition of France in the previous group game.
Qualification scenario
Head coach Brian McDermott had urged patience, but the chaotic display means England can only advance if Tonga defeat Samoa by more than 46 points in the final group match. Tonga lost 34-6 to Samoa a year ago and have not beaten their neighbours since 2018, making the required margin highly improbable.
