England’s O’Neill Says Team Was Not Underprepared for World Cup
Brad O'Neill has rejected the idea that England entered the Rugby League World Cup without sufficient preparation as the squad prepares to face France on Saturday with an unchanged lineup. England find themselves under pressure after a 30‑12 defeat to Tonga in their opening match, a loss that leaves them in danger of missing the semi‑finals. Head coach Brian McDermott, however, has stuck with the same 19‑man group.
The team’s schedule has been tight. The Tonga game came just 14 days after the 2026 Super League Grand Final, and England flew to Australia ten days before the match. They did not play a warm‑up fixture, meaning their last international appearance was a loss to Australia at Headingley in November of the previous year. The defeat to Tonga was McDermott’s first match since taking the job in April, and O'Neill described the side as a “new team” that still needs the small details to click.
When asked by BBC Sport whether fatigue or lack of preparation contributed to the loss, the 2026 Super League Man of Steel replied, “Not at all, we had a great week of prep heading into the tournament. The whole team felt really good physically, it was just a good game and the better team won.”
The England roster for the upcoming Group B‑C clash includes full‑back AJ Brimson, backs Dom Young, Hugo Savala, Herbie Farnworth, Zach Eckersley, George Williams, Harry Smith, Max King, Brad O'Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Kai Pearce‑Paul and Victor Radley. The interchange bench features Jez Litten, Ben Currie, Ethan Havard, Sam Walters, Jack Welsby and Matty Ashton, with reserves Kallum Watkins, Mikey Lewis and Ben Talty.
McDermott had said he would review selections after the Tonga loss but has opted to keep the same starting XV for Saturday. He added that England “were not strategically outdone” and only need minor adjustments rather than a tactical overhaul. O'Neill echoed that sentiment, saying, “Only having a week together, those little things should come together and we should start executing with practice. We’re not changing anything we play, it is about the execution side of things. It is those combinations in training and bringing those to the match. There is a real belief in the team, we are a new team. We need time to work on combos, hopefully those will pay off.”
AJ Brimson retains his spot at full‑back, with Jack Welsby among the interchanges. Luke Thompson continues at prop while Morgan Knowles remains unavailable after picking up an injury before the Tonga game. Half‑back Mikey Lewis, a debated inclusion ahead of 2025 Super League Man of Steel Jake Connor, stays out of the squad. Harry Smith will again partner captain George Williams in the halves, despite both being out‑muscled by Tonga.
The loss to Tonga was England’s first ever defeat by the Pacific nation and has left McDermott’s side with a steep road to the semi‑finals. Group B‑C operates as a combined pool of six teams, with only the top two advancing. England, placed in Group B, must play the three Group C teams – Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea. If teams finish level on points, head‑to‑head results decide the ranking; points difference is used only when teams have not faced each other, a scenario that could arise if England and Samoa need to be separated. To stay in contention, England must win both remaining group games – against France on Saturday and Papua New Guinea on 30 October – and likely by sizable margins. Even then, their fate may not be decided until two days after their final match, when Tonga meet 2022 finalists Samoa.
“We have discussed what is required, but we are taking it day by day,” O'Neill said. “We are confident we can do it. We just focus on a game at the time and don’t think much about the format. Mentally we can’t go in thinking about points; if we do our job well enough we will get the win.”
In contrast, England women’s coach Stuart Barrow has made a significant selection change ahead of the high‑profile clash with co‑hosts Australia. Jenna Foubister will start at half‑back, replacing Georgia Roche after an outstanding Super League season that earned her the Woman of Steel award. The 19‑year‑old, who scored on her debut in a 62‑0 win over Wales in August 2025, will partner Izzy Rowe in the halves. Rowe scored two tries and kicked nine conversions for 26 points as England opened their World Cup campaign with a 70‑6 victory over Wales, equalling the record for most points by an individual England player in a Women’s World Cup match. Molly Jones replaces Georgia Wilson in the centres, while Liv Wood moves to prop ahead of Mary Coleman.