What did we learn from England in the first round of RLWC 2026? — SkimNews
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- Izzy Rowe scored the most points ever by an England player in a single match as England women thrashed Wales 70-4, excelling both with ball in hand and off the tee
- England men lost 30-12 to Tonga despite a high-tempo second-phase game featuring 27 offloads and 246 passes, failing to convert pressure inside the opposition's 20 metres
- Brian McDermott admitted his risky attacking style backfired, with England committing 9 first-half errors against Tonga's 3 and conceding a fluky ricochet try while trailing 10-6
- England men's forward pack was stripped bare by absences — Morgan Smithies ruled out of the tournament, Morgan Knowles ruled out of the match, alongside unavailable trio Matty Lees, Caleb Hamlin-Uele, and Mike McMeeken
- Tonga's squad featured State of Origin representatives Toluta'u Koula, Addin Fonua-Blake and Stefano Utoikamanu, plus Grand Final-winning Roosters trio Toia, Wong and Foketi and rising star Isaiya Katoa
- England women face defending champions Australia next, a rematch of their 90-4 loss in Las Vegas in 2025, with only a handful of players from that match still in the squad
- England men's tournament fate now hinges on combined Group B/C cross-fixtures, needing wins over France and PNG while hoping Tonga beat Samoa to set up a points-differential shootout
Why it matters: Rowe's record-setting performance offers genuine momentum for a women's side chasing respectability against an Australia team that beat them 90-4 in Las Vegas, while the men's loss robs England of any margin for error in a cross-group format where points difference could ultimately separate semi-finalists.
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