England produced an emphatic 14-try display to defeat France in Game Two of their Rugby League World Cup campaign, running in a flurry of tries to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Any early frustrations were quickly forgotten after Matty Ashton had a try ruled out in the opening stages, with France showing plenty of resilience as the sides battled through a tense and scoreless opening 20 minutes.
But once England found a breakthrough, they never looked back.
Determined to bounce back from their disappointing loss to Tonga last wekeend, England delivered an attacking masterclass.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 23rd minute when Dom Young crossed for his 11th try in just his 10th international appearance, giving Brian McDermott’s side the foothold they had been searching for.
Ashton was then rewarded for his persistence moments later, racing away for England’s second try after being denied earlier in the contest.
England would strike again almost immediately, as three tries in the space of three minutes put France firmly on the back foot as Herbie Farnworth broke away.
McDermott’s men were playing with confidence and freedom, and Farnworth soon grabbed his second of the afternoon with a powerful finish before captain George Williams added another as England continued to turn pressure into points.
The expansive play ramped up a gear, with Hugo Savala and Young combining to send Farnworth over for a heroic first half hat-trick, as England headed into the break having crossed six times.
And was no slowing their momentum after the restart.
Young collected his second try of the game shortly into the second half, extending their advantage further as France struggled to contain England's speed and creativity.
Victor Radley then got in on the act, capping off another impressive piece of attack, while France began to show signs of fatigue.
Soon after, Jez Litten went in under the sticks before substitute Mikey Lewis made an instant impact, and produced another moment of magic for England.
Young completed his hat-trick with a breakaway try right from the restart, with Jack Welsby, who came off the bench, then joining the scoresheet as England's dominance continued.
It wasn't long before Lewis secured his double, with Player of the Match AJ Brimson putting the finishing touches on a sensational England performance.
England's 82-0 victory today was one of the biggest wins over France, with an 84-4 success also recorded in 2015.
England:
Tries: Young 3, Ashton 1, Farnworth 3, Williams 1, Radley, 1, Litten 1, Lewis 2, Welsby 1, Brimson 1
Goals: Savala 13
Half-time: 36-0
Full-time: 82-0
