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England keep unchanged squad for France match after Tonga loss
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England have kept the same 19 players for Saturday’s match against France after losing 30-12 to Tonga, a result that has made their route to the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals difficult.
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England coach Brian McDermott has named an unchanged 19-man squad for Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup match against France, despite his side’s 30-12 defeat by Tonga in their opening game. The loss has left England needing strong results in their remaining group matches to stay in contention for the semi-finals. [1]
AJ Brimson keeps his place at full-back, while Jack Welsby remains among the interchange players. Luke Thompson continues at prop; Morgan Knowles is still unavailable after picking up an injury before the Tonga match. Harry Smith and captain George Williams retain their places at half-back.
England must beat France and Papua New Guinea, whom they meet on 30 October, to have a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals. The BBC reports that, given the tournament format, England will probably also need to win by large margins. Their final position may not be clear until Tonga play Samoa in their last group match. [1]
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