England urged to hold nerve as Rugby League World Cup hopes hang by a thread

England need 68-point swing in final group gamesMcDermott: ‘It’s a difficult situation to negotiate’The England head coach, Brian McDermott, has urged his side to keep their nerve as they attempt to hold up their end of the bargain on Friday and secure what would be a remarkable qualification for the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup.Defeat by Tonga in their opening group game a fortnight ago appeared to all but consign England to an early exit, owing in no small part to a complex and shortened format, with the tournament reduced to 10 teams. However, the margin of their 82-0 win against France last Saturday means qualification is still possible, albeit unlikely. Continue reading…

Brian McDermott urged his side to keep their nerve as they attempt to secure what would be a remarkable qualification for the semi-finals The England head coach, Brian McDermott, has urged his side to keep their nerve as they attempt to hold up their end of the bargain on Friday and secure what would be a remarkable qualification for the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup. Defeat by Tonga in their opening group game a fortnight ago appeared to all but consign England to an early exit, owing in no small part to a complex and shortened format, with the tournament reduced to 10 teams.

However, the margin of their 82-0 win against France last Saturday means qualification is still possible, albeit unlikely. They need to defeat Papua New Guinea in Wollongong and hope Tonga beat Samoa on Sunday, with a 68-point