Williams: England relish underdog tag for Tonga opener — SkimNews
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- George Williams said England will relish their underdog tag against a "stacked" Tonga side in Saturday's World Cup opener at HBF Park in Perth, with humidity expected above 60%.
- Morgan Smithies has withdrawn through injury, forcing a late change with Luke Thompson coming in to replace the absent Morgan Knowles in England's starting lineup.
- Williams, 31, dismissed concerns that England's history of World Cup heartache — a 2022 golden-point loss to Samoa and a 6-0 defeat by Australia in the 2017 final — would weigh on McDermott's squad.
- Brian McDermott, who replaced Shaun Wane after the 3-0 Ashes loss, has introduced a "point of difference" in attack that Williams said the group have "bought into," without revealing the specifics.
- England beat Tonga 3-0 in a 2022 Test series and edged them in a dramatic 2017 World Cup semi-final in Auckland, but Williams noted Tonga have "evolved since 2023" with NRL talent across the park.
- The England women's team, captained by Jodie Cunningham from the bench, face Wales directly before the men's match, having thrashed them 62-0 in August 2025 and 82-0 at Headingley in 2024.
Why it matters: Saturday's match opens England's bid to break past semi-final and final heartache, with Australia and New Zealand expected to advance from Pool A — meaning the Tonga result effectively decides who England face for the other two semi-final spots in the combined six-team table.
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