England have claimed a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea at the Rugby League World Cup in Australia, but the win has not prevented them from sitting on the brink of a historic tournament exit. Despite producing a winning display against PNG, England remain on the verge of being knocked out of the competition at the group stage, leaving their World Cup campaign in severe jeopardy.
England established their advantage early in the contest against Papua New Guinea, setting the tone with an impressive showing before the half-time break. Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dom Young, and Harry Smith all scored first-half tries for England, putting their team in a commanding position over PNG in Australia.
England maintained their scoring momentum into the closing stages of the match to complete the 34-12 result. The scoring concluded as Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis both added late scores for England, sealing the victory over Papua New Guinea and providing a strong finish on the scoreboard.
However, that 34-12 success against Papua New Guinea may not be enough to prevent a historic group-stage exit from the Rugby League World Cup in Australia. England's hopes of progressing to the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals now rely entirely on the upcoming clash between Tonga and Samoa, where England need Tonga to beat Samoa by over 46 points to make the semi-finals.