McDermott: England face 'unique task' to progress and can't get distracted — SkimNews
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- Brian McDermott told England at his Thursday press conference that they must beat Papua New Guinea convincingly in their final pool game in Woollongong on Friday (9.05am kick-off) to keep semi-final hopes alive after a 30-12 opening defeat to Tonga.
- England carry a +64 points difference after their 82-0 win over France in Perth, trailing Samoa's +132 by 68 points; the Samoans opened by beating France 78-4 and Papua New Guinea 64-6.
- Papua New Guinea represent a stiffer test than France, with head coach Jason Demetriou fielding a squad containing a number of players who play in the British game, making them well coordinated.
- McDermott warned his players not to chase points, insisting England establish physicality and discipline first — the same 'rinse and repeat' game model that produced the 82-0 rout of France.
- Samoa must lose to Tonga in Sydney on Sunday for England to progress; a Samoan victory guarantees England's elimination, while a Tonga win sends points difference to decide second spot in the combined Groups B+C table, whose winner faces the Group A runner-up from a group of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
- England also need to make up a 68-point deficit on their own account: winning by 68 points or more against Papua New Guinea would mean any Samoa loss is enough, while a smaller win leaves them dependent on the margin of Samoa's defeat.
- Litten and Knowles are set to start for England in Friday's crunch World Cup match.
Why it matters: England sit 68 points behind Samoa on points difference, so Friday's 9.05am pool finale against Papua New Guinea must deliver a win of 68 points or more for progress to rest on Tonga beating Samoa rather than on Samoa's margin of defeat; a Samoa win on Sunday eliminates England outright.
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