England beat France 82-0 to revive Rugby League World Cup hopes

England beat France 82-0 in Perth on Saturday to revive their men's Rugby League World Cup campaign, with Herbie Farnworth and Dom Young each scoring three tries. According to BBC Sport's match report, England crossed 14 times and Hugo Savala converted 13 of those scores. The victory followed their opening 30-12 defeat by Tonga, but did not secure a semi-final place.

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England's breakthrough took 23 minutes after an error-filled start. Captain George Williams split the defence and supplied Young with a behind-the-back pass for the opening try. AJ Brimson then helped create a score for Matty Ashton, before Harry Smith set up Farnworth. Those three tries came within four minutes, turning a scoreless opening quarter into a clear England advantage.

Farnworth added two more tries before the interval to complete his hat-trick, with Williams also scoring as England reached half-time 36-0 ahead. The last of Farnworth's first-half scores came after England moved the ball right and Young provided the final pass. All six tries before the break were converted, giving England a platform to pursue the large margin their qualification hopes required.

Young scored again eight minutes into the second half after chasing a grubber kick. Victor Radley and interchange Jez Litten also crossed, while Brimson helped set up Mikey Lewis. Young completed his treble by collecting a poor short kick-off and running through, before Jack Welsby joined the scorers. Lewis subsequently claimed his second try, and Brimson added England's final touchdown.

Savala's kicking contributed 26 points, with just one unsuccessful conversion attempt. England also kept France scoreless despite periods of pressure near their own line. BBC Sport reported that England made six errors in the first 20 minutes, a difficult opening that preceded their sustained scoring run. Their eventual winning margin exceeded the 74-point gap in Samoa's earlier victory over France.

The qualification position remains demanding. Samoa had beaten Papua New Guinea 62-6 earlier on Saturday, leaving England 150 points behind Samoa on points difference before this match. BBC Sport reported that England still need a substantial win against Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on Friday and must hope Tonga beat Samoa the following Sunday. The 82-point gain improves England's position, but their route to the last four still depends on another result as well as their own performance.