England vs. France result & highlights as Ryan Hall and Dom Young star for hosts in Rugby League World Cup win

Andrew Steel

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England vs. France result & highlights as Ryan Hall and Dom Young star for hosts in Rugby League World Cup win image

Braces for Ryan Hall and Dom Young helped England effectively seal their place in the quarter-finals of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup as they saw off a stubborn France side with a 42-18 win in a Group A encounter at the University of Bolton Stadium.

Shaun Wane's side motored out to an early eighteen-point lead thanks to a double from the former, their all-time top try scorer, and sealed a comfortable margin of victory after the interval thanks to two tries from their newest star.

After such a freewheeling display against Samoa at St James' Park, there were clunkier moments for the tournament hosts, who were punished for slippery discipline, and suffered a major injury blow with the loss of Kallum Watkins to a head knock.

But steered once again by George Williams - partnered with Test debutant Marc Sneyd in a new-look half-back combo - they proved more than comfortable victors in the end in front of a crowd of 23,648.

Similar to events in Newcastle, England cut loose in the first quarter to shore up an early advantage, with the evergreen Hall extending his haul for his country to 37 tries, alongside one for Luke Thompson.

But sloppiness late on allowed Laurent Frayssinous and his side to cut the gap to a single converted score thanks to Arthur Mourgue and Eloi Pelissier.

The introduction of Jack Welsby - dropped for the bench to make way for Sneyd - proved a burst of premeditated energy for England after the break, and further tries for Elliot Whitehead, Victor Radley and Young helped blow out the lead again.

But a late Arthur Romano score, coupled with Watkins' injury and a sin-bin for Tom Burgess, took the shine off for boss Wane, who vowed for his side to deliver a marked improvement against Greece in Sheffield next week.

Hall helps produce selection headaches

Handed number five in the squad numbers, but missing in place of the livewire Young in the first half, the Hull KR winger seized his chance with plenty of runs down the middle and two scores to his name.

His chance of displacing the Newcastle flyer seems slim - but in taking Tommy Makinson's spot today, it required the introduction of Sneyd as an alternative goal-kicker, the latter forcing Welsby out of the XIII. Wane has his hands full picking his side for the knockouts.

France bare teeth again

Having delivered an impressive - if not always watertight - performance against an adventurous Greece side last time out - Les Tricolores shipped a hefty scoreline in the end, but will have plenty to build on.

With Samoa reportedly still in disarray, they may fancy their prospects of a shock result next week to likely join England in the quarter-finals.

England vs. France final score

  1H 2H Final
England 18 24 42
France 12 6 18

Tries: Hall (2), Thompson, Whitehead, Radley, Young (2); Mourgue, Pelissier, Romano

Conversions: Sneyd (7); Mourgue (3)

England vs. France live updates, highlights from Rugby League World Cup

FT: With that, we are going to wrap up our coverage here - but stick with The Sporting News, because we've got New Zealand against Jamaica live from Hull kicking off in a few minutes too! Until then, thank you for joining us.

FT: Plenty to celebrate for England, but as predicted, plenty to critique too, at least for Shaun Wane. The Wall of White boss vows for an improved performance against Greece - you get the impression anything less than sixty points in Sheffield will be a disappointment for him.

FT: Williams is man of the match, and accepts his award in an inside-out France jersey he has just swapped. Despite those late bust-ups, both sides embrace at the full-time whistle. If Les Tricolores stun Samoa next week, keep an eye open - this could be a semi-final rematch in the making.

FT: England 42-18 France. It's not quite the high-flying class act served up at St James' Park, but make no mistake - this is an England side that can go the distance. They put forty-plus points on a resilient France in Bolton to take full control of Group A - and edge closer to the quarter-finals of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup!

80 mins: Late handbags again - and England will finish with twelve men on the pitch, as Burgess is sin-binned for a strike on Pelissier. That will be the last act of note - England have a second win of RLWC2021!

79 mins: England are let off the hook late on! Langi leaps on a short grubber but cannot make a clean grounding. Shaun Wane is going to have some stern words about how his side have dropped off in both halves - it has been a cut below their Samoa performance on the whole - but France have proven a sterner test.

78 mins: The attendance is in - and it is a very nice 23,648 in Bolton! They catch a late bout of handbags involving Welsby, and France will have a penalty.

76 mins: TRY: England 42-18 France! Something for the visitors to cheer about! A little moment of magic from Gigot, after England flag too many sloppy tackles on the half-back and he peels away, sticking Romano in for a late finish. Mourgue converts.

75 mins: France have a lot to take from this match, it has to be said - and if Samoa, as anticipated, defeat Greece, they'll have a winner-takes-all battle with them to reach the quarter-finals. On the basis of what we've seen across three combined games in Group A, they'll fancy their chances.

71 mins: England are turning on the style now. Tomkins sees a kick charged down, Bateman flicks an offload away under four defenders, Welsby forces a goal-line drop-out. It has not been the complete performance as it was against Samoa, but they're enjoying themselves now.

66 mins: TRY: England 42-12 France! A length-of-the-field interception - and Young has his second! The Newcastle flyer picks off a booming French pass inside his own ten-metre area, and tears away on a fantastic flight of fancy to double his tally.

62 mins: Almost the hat-trick play for Hall - but he offloads to a French defender! Not quite the ending the winger had in mind there.

58 mins: The news is official: Watkins has failed his HIA. He won't be needing a trip to hospital at least, but it is a big loss for England.

56 mins: TRY: England 36-12 France! At last, Young is unleashed! That is surely game over for this Group A clash now, as Williams, Radley and Bateman combine to put Welsby away on the right. The half-back picks Young in support to beat the final man and he crosses for his first of the game. Sneyd converts.

53 mins: Watkins departs to a standing ovation, on his own - shaky - feet. Tomkins is back on at full-back, and Welsby moves to centre, promptly before an England error allows France to turn over possession and subsequently force a goal-line drop-out of their own.

51 mins: Oh, this could be a massive blow for England now. Watkins clashes heads with Da Costa in the tackle and half-crumples to the ground. Medics are on to check the Salford man. He'll surely go off for a head injury assessment - on the basis of that impact, it looks unlikely he'll pass it.

50 mins: TRY: England 30-12 France! Two tries in five minutes, and England blow out to an eighteen-point lead again! It is a lovely bit of work from Ackers - he jerks a reverse grubber on the last, foxes the French defence and Radley cuts through unmarked to dot down. Sneyd converts.

48 mins: Much as France's two tries gave them a shot in the arm, that score has ticked England up a gear. Ackers sends Sneyd down the blindside on the last tackle, and the latter's grubber has to be batted out for a goal-line drop-out.

45 mins: TRY: England 24-12 France! Just the ticket for the home crowd, who roar that one home! Bateman draws in the defence, breaks a tackle and smothers a ball - possibly forward - out to Whitehead, who sails home. Sneyd converts.

41 mins: Here we go for the second half then - and there is a big change for England here. Captain Tomkins is off, with Welsby on at full-back. It is the spot the latter played for St Helens for much of 2022, of course - but still, that is a major judgement call from the hosts.

HT: It's easy to pinpoint what will drive Shaun Wane barmy - discipline. France looked nowhere near the mark until some soft set restarts and six-again calls helped them downfield. England can't afford to let that happen against stronger sides deeper into this tournament.

HT: Talk about an intriguing encounter. So far, Sneyd's kicking game has put some serious pressure on the French defence - but only on one flank. It has led to something of a quiet game for Young, after his blockbuster headlines last week. Could he - and the livewire Welsby on the bench - prove the difference?

HT: England 18-12 France. What looked poised to be a potential blowout for the hosts once more has been turned into a thrilling prospect, after France strike back twice to cut the gap to six points in Bolton. This could be on for one of the clashes of the tournament so far - we've got a game on our hands!

40 mins: Farnworth looks to cut an offload after running across the defence close to the France line, but Langi smothers it - and that will be the last major play of the first half!

38 mins: This has been a sturdy comeback from France, and one to ruffle England's feathers. We expected them to provide a sterner test than Samoa ultimately did, and they have. But now, the hosts are turning the screw in defence and sharpening their discipline.

33 mins: TRY: England 18-12 France! Out of nowhere, this is a one-score game again! England cough up the ball inside their own rear area, and France suddenly snatch a second, Pelissier diving over from dummy half under the posts. Mourgue converts.

32 mins: That try has put a very big spring in France's step - and there's a shade of deja-vu to last week for England here. They score three, they concede one and start to look a little shaky. Will they see this half out without further concession?

29 mins: TRY: England 18-6 France! Les Tricolores strike back! For the first time, France work into deep England territory, and they seize on the chance from a set restart. Mourgue's grubber is redirected by Sneyd's outstretched hand, and the half-back bounces on the loose ball. He converts too.

24 mins: TRY: England 18-0 France! Oh, that is a lovely bit of play from Radley! After France cough up the ball just beyond halfway, the Wall of White work their way back up-field. Radley shapes around a defender, slips the ball to Thompson and the prop cruises home under the posts. Sneyd converts.

21 mins: A bit of a scrappy end from England - the first time they've looked seriously unstructured - sees Watkins unexpectedly grubber down the right. France are surprised by it, and duly knock on; it could have gone badly wrong for the hosts.

16 mins: What a terrific end-of-set play from England! Sneyd kicks to the corner, and Escare takes under pressure - but Farnworth bears down immediately and hauls him into touch. Nicely done - but the hosts then loses possession cheaply through Burgess.

11 mins: TRY: England 12-0 France! A double already for Hall on the left edge! A penalty for standing not square at the mark from the visitors allows the hosts a full set inside deep opposition territory - and a cut-out Williams pass is fed through Farnworth to the winger for an easy finish. Sneyd converts.

6 mins: TRY: England 6-0 France! Hall extends his all-time record for the hosts! After a physical opening, Williams sticks a bomb kick up to the posts. Tomkins bats it back, Hill tips it on to Sneyd and the winger crosses off the last pass in the left corner. Sneyd converts.

KO: Sneyd tees off and we are underway in this RLWC2021 clash between England and France!

5 mins to KO: That's the anthems in the bag, with both sides in outstanding voice. France are in a very natty change strip today, in dark hues - and they are bearing a special inscription in tribute to former Leeds Rhinos and England man Rob Burrow, as he continues his battle against MND.

10 mins to KO: It's filling up quite nicely in Bolton, but there will surely only be a few stragglers left. It's almost match-time, as the teams take to the field in a plume of fire!

20 mins to KO: There's a familiar face to NRL fans among the French staff today, one who could well help deliver a result closer than many expected. Sydney Roosters boss Trent Robinson - a multiple-Grand Final-winning coach - has been helping to guide them this tournament. Can he have the magic touch?

30 mins to KO: It feels like the big story we're talking about every other day, but one big question - just how many will be in attendance at today's match? Unlike last week's opener in Newcastle, which posted a healthy crowd, this is rugby league heartland territory. After last night's gate cracked five figures in Coventry, how close to a sell-out will it be in Bolton?

40 mins to KO: There's a few eye-catching names in there, but it is one of the three changes to the England line-up that carries the history. Ryan Hall is the Wall of White's top try scorer, once a mainstay of this side. His inclusion this autumn was a deserved recall after his fine form with KR - can he extend his record today?

50 mins to KO: France too have rung the changes, though their hand is forced by injury. While their rivals have rotated for five changes in all - Ackers and Sneyd, plus Wigan's John Bateman, Hull KR wing Ryan Hall and Leeds prop Mikolaj Oledzki - they have lost Catalans wideman Fouad Yaha. Matthieu Laguerre moves to his berth, and Benjamin Jullien drops into centre.

60 mins to KO: Early team news now, and it appears that England's original plans to fully rotate the seven unused members of their squad who did not face Samoa has not panned out. There's no room for St Helens back-rower Joe Batchelor, or Wigan Warriors man Kai Pearce-Paul - but Salford Red Devils duo Andy Ackers and Marc Sneyd earn their maiden England caps in Test rugby league.

70 mins to KO: On paper, Laurent Frayssinous and his men should give England less of a test than Samoa did - but we all know how that turned out. This looks like a more well-tuned opponent if anything, fresh from opening their Group A account against Greece. They haven't beaten the Wall of White for generations - could this be the day at last?

80 mins to KO: Just under twenty-four hours on from Australia throwing down the gauntlet of the tournament so far as they shredded Scotland in Coventry, the hosts return to action a week on from demolishing an undercooked Samoa in Newcastle. But will Shaun Wane's side serve up champagne rugby league once again? Or can their opponents prove a tougher nut to crack?

90 mins to KO: Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, as hosts England look to book their spot in the quarter-finals against France in a Group A encounter at the University of Bolton Stadium.

England vs. France lineups

How to watch England vs. France: TV channel, live stream

  UK Australia New Zealand
TV channel BBC Two Foxtel Spark Sport
Streaming BBC iPlayer Foxtel Go Spark Sport

Andrew Steel