England face must‑win World Cup test against Tonga in Perth on Saturday
England begin their men’s World Cup campaign on Saturday in Perth with a must-win fixture against Tonga that could inject much-needed optimism into the European game.
Two matches into the tournament and the competition has already produced headline moments: the biggest Test crowd in Sydney for more than 50 years and an opening‑night thriller between Australia and New Zealand, with the Kangaroos edging a thriller. Samoa recorded a win over France on Friday described as a record, and Tonga and Papua New Guinea are set to keep the Pasifika atmosphere and national‑pride narratives alive this weekend.
A key reason for the broadened field of contenders is the decision several years ago by some of the NRL’s best players to honour their Pacific heritage and represent nations such as Samoa and Tonga rather than Australia and New Zealand, creating a larger pool of teams capable of contesting the World Cup.
England’s preparations have been muted domestically after Super League missed the NRL’s deadline of Thursday to agree an historic partnership between the leagues, a setback that has cast a shadow over a relatively low‑key buildup. The tournament’s placement behind a paywall on television has contributed to a sense that awareness in England has been limited.
The competition’s truncated format places England in must‑win territory from the outset: victory against Tonga should make passage to the semi‑finals secure given what follows, but a slip up would leave them dependent on other results and, potentially, a favour from Samoa, who beat England in the semi‑finals in 2022. England have beaten Samoa and Tonga with relative ease at home since the last World Cup, but their shock semi‑final defeat four years ago was portrayed as a turning point for Pasifika rugby league and a setback for England.
Brian McDermott has signalled a different approach after what was described as a missed opportunity in last year’s Ashes, when the Kangaroos were “not tested or stretched enough.” England captain George Williams said: “It’s definitely been different, I’m not going to tell you all the tricks of what we’ve got planned but it’s been different and enjoyable,” and added: “The group have all bought into what he wants us to do and hopefully you’ll see that when we play against Tonga. I won’t give too much away but we’ll do some stuff you might not have seen before.” McDermott has emphasised the need to mix things up to beat the best at international level.
Selection choices point to a shift in style, with more mobile, agile forwards intended to promote second‑phase rugby and feed an attacking backline. England’s squad features Herbie Farnworth, described in the report as the world’s best centre, wings Dom Young and Zach Eckersley, and a back row pairing of Junior Nsemba and Kai Pearce‑Paul; they will also face a boisterous pro‑Tongan crowd in Perth and a Mate Ma’a side noted for its physicality. Williams also acknowledged the challenge: “Tonga have got a stacked team so we’re underdogs, but we’ll embrace that tag.”
McDermott broke rank this week and insisted the group, together in Australia for just a week, have the potential to achieve something special. A win in Perth would offer a timely boost for the European game; failure to reach the semi‑finals would reinforce perceptions that England have slipped behind Samoa and Tonga in the pecking order. England’s next fixture is the meeting with Tonga in Perth on Saturday.