England on brink of World Cup exit after 34-12 win over Papua New Guinea
England beat Papua New Guinea 34-12 in a Rugby League World Cup group match on 30 October 2026 but the victory left them close to elimination after they failed to secure the large winning margin required.
England have never previously failed to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup. After their opening loss to Tonga, their task in the remaining group games was clear: win and win well to maintain any hope of reaching the last four. They delivered an 82-0 victory over France but still needed to overturn a 68-point deficit on Samoa to progress.
England appeared to be on course early, leading 22-0 after 22 minutes thanks to tries from Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dominic Young and Harry Smith. That fast start offered an opportunity to chip into the 68-point gap they face on Samoa.
The momentum shifted thereafter as a sequence of turnovers and conceded penalties gave Papua New Guinea belief. Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro scored tries for the Kumuls as England surrendered the initiative despite head coach Brian McDermott urging his players to be patient in the build-up to the fixture.
A notable moment saw Herbie Farnworth stripped of the ball when running towards the try line before Mikey Lewis crossed, and Morgan Knowles added a second-half score. England's six try-scorers in the match were Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dominic Young, Harry Smith, Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis.
The performance produced 21 errors and a completion rate of just 57%, a marked contrast to the approach used in the France game. That statistical profile meant the margin of victory proved insufficient to alter England's position in the group table.
England can now only reach the last four if Tonga defeat Samoa by more than 46 points. As good as Kristian Woolf's side are, that appears highly improbable given they lost 34-6 to Samoa 12 months ago in Brisbane and have not registered a win over their neighbours since 2018.
The outcome places England's progression solely in the hands of the Tonga v Samoa result: without a Tonga victory by over 46 points, England will fail to reach the knockout stages for the first time.