England Beat PNG 34-12 but World Cup Semi-Final Hopes Hang on Tonga

England's place in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals is out of their own hands despite a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on Friday night. Brian McDermott's side raced into a 22-0 lead after just 21 minutes, with Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dom Young and Harry Smith all crossing during a blistering opening burst. But England managed only a Hugo Savala penalty before half-time and never found the fluency to run up the huge margin they needed, finishing with 20 errors in a scrappy performance. The 22-point winning margin fell well short of what the equation demands: England now depend on Tonga beating Samoa by more than 46 points in Sunday night's sold-out showdown at CommBank Stadium to reach the last four. It is a tall order against a Samoan side built around prop Spencer Leniu, who has been in career-best form. England will watch Sunday's Pacific clash knowing their World Cup fate rests entirely on a result they cannot control, a frustrating position after a win that promised so much in its opening quarter.