Rive News
Sports

Tonga stun England 30-12 in Rugby League World Cup opener

WORLD CUP

Tonga stun England 30-12

Tonga beat England 30-12 in Perth in the Rugby League World Cup opener.

HISTORY

First win ever

It was Tonga's first win over England in history after six straight losses.

FIRST HALF

10-0 at half-time

Tonga led 10-0 at the break and held England scoreless for 40 minutes.

24 MINUTES

Utoikamanu opens the scoring

Stefano Utoikamanu scored the first try after a pass from Isaiya Katoa.

THE KICKER

Katoa kicks Tonga clear

Katoa kicked three goals and four penalties for 14 points with the boot.

SECOND HALF

England hit back

AJ Brimson scored in the 46th minute to cut the lead to 10-6.

THE TURN

Two tries in three minutes

Olakau'atu and Koula scored in quick succession to break England.

63 MINUTES

Young gives England hope

Dom Young scored to make it 24-12 and set up a tense finish.

THE SEALER

Olakau'atu seals it

Olakau'atu scored his second try from a Katoa kick to end the contest.

THE CROWD

18,302 fans in Perth

A big crowd at HBF Park backed Tonga all night long.

WHAT IS NEXT

England must win twice

England must beat France and Papua New Guinea to reach the semi-finals.

WHAT IS NEXT

Tonga face Samoa

Tonga play Samoa on November 1 in a sold-out game at CommBank Stadium.

Sports

Read the full story

Get the full breakdown, key numbers, and what happens next.

Read on Rive News
Read the full story