O'Neill: England Not Underprepared, Same XV for France — SkimNews
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- Brad O'Neill rejected suggestions England were tired or underprepared for the Tonga defeat, insisting 'we had a great week of prep' and that 'the better team won' in their first-ever loss to Tonga.
- Brian McDermott retained the same 19-man squad for Saturday's Group B-C match against France in Perth (kick-off 07:35 BST), with 2025 Super League Man of Steel Jake Connor again overlooked in favour of incumbent halves Harry Smith and George Williams.
- England men must beat France and Papua New Guinea on 30 October — likely by large margins — to keep semi-final hopes alive, with tiebreaker rules on head-to-head record already working against them should they finish level with Tonga.
- England women's coach Stuart Barrow made three changes ahead of facing reigning champions Australia on Saturday, with 19-year-old Woman of Steel Jenna Foubister replacing Georgia Roche at half-back alongside record-equalling Izzy Rowe.
- Australia dropped Reece Walsh to the bench for Sunday's game against Fiji, replacing him with Clive Churchill Medal winner James Tedesco who also takes the captaincy from rested Isaah Yeo, who had delayed surgery on a torn pectoral to play.
- Wales women face Samoa on Friday (07:45 BST) with four changes, including Amberley Ruck replacing Ffion Lewis at hooker and Jade Mullen entering the centres.
Why it matters: England's path out of the group stage now hinges on more than just two wins — McDermott's side almost certainly need to beat France and Papua New Guinea by substantial margins, and even then may not know their fate until Tonga-Samoa plays out days after England's final match.
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