England Men will be aiming to get off the mark in their 2026 Rugby League World Cup campaign when they face France in their second fixture this Saturday at HBF Park in Perth (7.35am BST).
Brian McDermott's side suffered defeat to Tonga in their opening match but will take confidence from several encouraging aspects of their performance as they prepare for a must-win encounter.
Among the positives were the performances of debutant winger Zach Eckersley and centre Hugo Savala - Savala recorded both of England's try assists.
His combination with captain George Williams also showed promising signs, while England's willingness to move the ball offered plenty of encouragement despite the result.
In defence Victor Radley and Brad O’Neill stood tall with more tackles made than any other players (43 and 41).
Meanwhile, winger Dom Young racked up the most metres with 174.
England also made more run metres than Tonga and regularly threatened with their offloading game, demonstrating an attacking style that McDermott will hope to build upon against the French.
Victory is essential if England are to keep their hopes of progressing from the group stages alive, and previous encounters suggest they will enter the contest with confidence.
England have won each of their last 23 meetings with France, with the most recent one coming in the 2024 mid-season international when they recorded a 40-8 victory at Stade Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse.
The two nations also met in 2023 at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium, where England produced a dominant display to secure a 64-0 victory.
Head coach McDermott has kept faith with the squad that faced Tonga, naming an unchanged side for the clash as England look to turn promising passages of play into points.
There is just one change to the wider 22-man squad named for last weekend’s World Cup opener against Tonga, with Leeds Rhinos’ Kallum Watkins coming in for Dolphins forward Morgan Knowles who was a late withdrawal last time.
Having shown plenty of attacking ambition last Saturday, England are expected to adopt an expansive approach against France this weekend.
With their World Cup campaign at a pivotal stage, the Men will be aiming to produce their best display of the tournament so far and secure a vital victory against familiar opponents.
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