Rugby League World Cup: England beat France 82-0

Match report from England v France, round two of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.

England beat France 82-0 in Perth on Saturday in round two of the Rugby League World Cup. Brian McDermott’s side ran in 14 tries, with Hugo Savala converting all but one.

Twenty minutes of resistance

Laurent Frayssinous’s France held England scoreless for around 20 minutes and even had chances to strike first. Matty Ashton, brought in late in the week for Zach Eckersley, thought he had opened the scoring after five minutes but lost the ball as he went to ground it. George Williams eventually sent Dom Young over, and Ashton, back from the ACL injury that wrecked his 2025 season, then got his try. Herbie Farnworth completed a first-half hat-trick to make it 36-0 at the break. France also lost Latrell Siegwalt to an apparent shoulder injury.

Young completed his own hat-trick after the interval, Mikey Lewis scored twice off the bench, and Victor Radley, Jez Litten, Jack Welsby and AJ Brimson also crossed. “Given the context, I think what we’ve done today is just enormous,” McDermott told Total Rugby League.

France to finish against Lebanon

With 4 points scored and 160 conceded in two games, France cannot progress from the combined Pool B and C table. England’s three previous World Cup wins over France, in 2013, 2017 and 2022, finished 34-6, 36-6 and 42-18. “We’re pretty disappointed; losing by that much in both games hurts,” Frayssinous told Total Rugby League. France close their campaign against Lebanon, also beaten twice, in Parramatta on Sunday 1 November.

England, beaten 30-12 by Tonga in round one, face Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on Friday. They will then need Tonga to beat Samoa, who won 64-6 against Papua New Guinea on Saturday, while overturning the points-difference gap.