Heartbreak for Wales As Cook Islands Snatch the Win

After last nights tremendous game between Tonga and Papua New Guinea, the remaining two sides in Group D met at the Leigh Sports Village as Wales took on the Cook Islands as the final fixture of a fabulous opening round.

The Cook Islands were favourites with the bookies and were handicapped by eighteen points on the coupon, despite them being ranked four places below Wales in the IRL rankings. The sides have met on two previous occasions, both having recorded one victory, the last being a win for the Cook Islands in the group stages of the 2013 World Cup after Wales won the previous encounter in the 2000 World Cup by 38-6.

It was a crucial game for both sides and both coaches knew that whoever lost today would effectively be out of the competition, with both sides still having to play both Tonga and Papua New Guinea.

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Heartbreak for Wales As Cook Islands Snatch the Win

After last nights tremendous game between Tonga and Papua New Guinea, the remaining two sides in Group D met at the Leigh Sports Village as Wales took on the Cook Islands as the final fixture of a fabulous opening round.

The Cook Islands were favourites with the bookies and were handicapped by eighteen points on the coupon, despite them being ranked four places below Wales in the IRL rankings. The sides have met on two previous occasions, both having recorded one victory, the last being a win for the Cook Islands in the group stages of the 2013 World Cup after Wales won the previous encounter in the 2000 World Cup by 38-6.

It was a crucial game for both sides and both coaches knew that whoever lost today would effectively be out of the competition, with both sides still having to play both Tonga and Papua New Guinea.

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Squad announcement: England versus France





Head coach Shaun Wane has named his 19-man squad for Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup Group A clash with France at the University of Bolton Stadium.
As expected, Wane includes all seven players from his 24-strong tournament squad who didn’t feature in last Saturday’s convincing 60-6 defeat of Samoa in Newcastle. In come Wigan Warriors pair John Bateman and Kai Pearce-Paul, Super League Grand Finalists Joe Batchelor (St Helens) and Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos), Salford Red Devils’ Andy Ackers and Marc Sneyd, and England’s all-time leading try-scorer Ryan Hall of Hull KR.
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Squad announcement: England versus France





Head coach Shaun Wane has named his 19-man squad for Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup Group A clash with France at the University of Bolton Stadium.
As expected, Wane includes all seven players from his 24-strong tournament squad who didn’t feature in last Saturday’s convincing 60-6 defeat of Samoa in Newcastle. In come Wigan Warriors pair John Bateman and Kai Pearce-Paul, Super League Grand Finalists Joe Batchelor (St Helens) and Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos), Salford Red Devils’ Andy Ackers and Marc Sneyd, and England’s all-time leading try-scorer Ryan Hall of Hull KR.
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Australia Demolish Scotland To Make The Quarter Finals

The second round of World Cup Group matches got underway with the holders Australia taking on a Scotland side who had a comprehensive and surprising loss to Italy in their opening encounter. The record books were on standby as the Kangaroos were expected to run in a cricket score, having been handicapped by sixty points on the coupon.

It´s only the second time that the two sides have met, Australia taking the spoils with a 54-12 win in the 2016 Four Nations Competition. No-one gave the Bravehearts a chance of springing a surprise in the full knowledge that a defeat would almost certainly end their competition.

Mal Meninga made wholesale changes to his winning side to rotate his squad while Scotland also had a number of changes, the most prominent being the omission of Ryan Brierley after he suffered an elbow strain, his replacement being Alex Walker.

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Australia Demolish Scotland To Make The Quarter Finals

The second round of World Cup Group matches got underway with the holders Australia taking on a Scotland side who had a comprehensive and surprising loss to Italy in their opening encounter. The record books were on standby as the Kangaroos were expected to run in a cricket score, having been handicapped by sixty points on the coupon.

It´s only the second time that the two sides have met, Australia taking the spoils with a 54-12 win in the 2016 Four Nations Competition. No-one gave the Bravehearts a chance of springing a surprise in the full knowledge that a defeat would almost certainly end their competition.

Mal Meninga made wholesale changes to his winning side to rotate his squad while Scotland also had a number of changes, the most prominent being the omission of Ryan Brierley after he suffered an elbow strain, his replacement being Alex Walker.

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Fiji Make No Mistakes With Italy Win

After the opening round of results and Australia´s emphatic win over Scotland last night, Italy came into the game knowing that a win over Fiji would guarantee them a place in the knockout stages, regardless of how many Australia put past them next week.

But with Italy getting an eighteen point start on the handicap coupon, the smart money was on Fiji getting a decent win and then only needing to beat the battered Scots next weekend to ensure that it was they who progress in the competition.

This was the second ever meeting between the two sides, Fiji winning the only previous encounter by 38-10 during the group stages of the 2017 World Cup. Conditions were set for a competitive match on the 4G pitch at Kingston Park in Newcastle.

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Fiji Make No Mistakes With Italy Win

After the opening round of results and Australia´s emphatic win over Scotland last night, Italy came into the game knowing that a win over Fiji would guarantee them a place in the knockout stages, regardless of how many Australia put past them next week.

But with Italy getting an eighteen point start on the handicap coupon, the smart money was on Fiji getting a decent win and then only needing to beat the battered Scots next weekend to ensure that it was they who progress in the competition.

This was the second ever meeting between the two sides, Fiji winning the only previous encounter by 38-10 during the group stages of the 2017 World Cup. Conditions were set for a competitive match on the 4G pitch at Kingston Park in Newcastle.

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England Seal Quarter-Final Spot With French Victory





Before this World Cup began, England coach Shaun Wane pledged that all 24 players in his squad would get a chance to play.
With just his second game, against France, he took a huge step to fulfilling that pledge that pledge, naming five players who didn’t feature last week against Samoa, in his game-day 17 for the tie at the University of Bolton Stadium.
And that included John Bateman who had to serve a three-match ban, including last week and a pre-tournament England Knights fixture, before being eligible.
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England Seal Quarter-Final Spot With French Victory





Before this World Cup began, England coach Shaun Wane pledged that all 24 players in his squad would get a chance to play.
With just his second game, against France, he took a huge step to fulfilling that pledge that pledge, naming five players who didn’t feature last week against Samoa, in his game-day 17 for the tie at the University of Bolton Stadium.
And that included John Bateman who had to serve a three-match ban, including last week and a pre-tournament England Knights fixture, before being eligible.
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Jamaica Entertain In Heavy Defeat To New Zealand

Jamaica were on a hiding to nothing as they made their way to Hull to take on a New Zealand side who were probably banking on an easy training run in a first meeting between the two nations. The bookies had given them a seventy-four point start on the coupon with most pundits thinking that they would be very lucky to avoid suffering their largest ever defeat which was a 56-4 loss to the England Knights last October.

New Zealand were without Dylan Brown who had been ruled out with illness amongst five changes made for what was billed as a straightforward win. There were three changes for Jamaica but plenty of familiar Super League names in their line up, but they were up against players who play every week in the NRL.

A win would almost guarantee New Zealand the quarterfinals, a loss for Jamaica would ensure that they couldn´t progress.

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Jamaica Entertain In Heavy Defeat To New Zealand

Jamaica were on a hiding to nothing as they made their way to Hull to take on a New Zealand side who were probably banking on an easy training run in a first meeting between the two nations. The bookies had given them a seventy-four point start on the coupon with most pundits thinking that they would be very lucky to avoid suffering their largest ever defeat which was a 56-4 loss to the England Knights last October.

New Zealand were without Dylan Brown who had been ruled out with illness amongst five changes made for what was billed as a straightforward win. There were three changes for Jamaica but plenty of familiar Super League names in their line up, but they were up against players who play every week in the NRL.

A win would almost guarantee New Zealand the quarterfinals, a loss for Jamaica would ensure that they couldn´t progress.

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Impressive Lebanon Stun The Irish

Ireland and Lebanon had a Sunday afternoon encounter in a shootout for who would join New Zealand in the final eight. Ireland already had one win and would secure second spot with a victory before they face New Zealand next weekend, Lebanon are without a win so far but a win today and an almost certain win against Jamaica next weekend would put them into the Quarter Finals.

Lebanon made just one change to the starting side which started against New Zealand, Adam Douehi replaced by Khaled Rajeb after he was dismissed in last weekend’s game. Ireland had O´Hagan for Cook in the front row and both sides made a couple of changes on the bench.

The bookies had Ireland as slight favourites, but on paper it promised to be a close game.

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Impressive Lebanon Stun The Irish

Ireland and Lebanon had a Sunday afternoon encounter in a shootout for who would join New Zealand in the final eight. Ireland already had one win and would secure second spot with a victory before they face New Zealand next weekend, Lebanon are without a win so far but a win today and an almost certain win against Jamaica next weekend would put them into the Quarter Finals.

Lebanon made just one change to the starting side which started against New Zealand, Adam Douehi replaced by Khaled Rajeb after he was dismissed in last weekend’s game. Ireland had O´Hagan for Cook in the front row and both sides made a couple of changes on the bench.

The bookies had Ireland as slight favourites, but on paper it promised to be a close game.

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