Huddersfield Daily Examiner

JERRY’S IN ENGLAND AND GIANTS ACE MCGILLVARY BAGS ANOTHER TWO TRIES AGAINST FRENCH IN PERTH

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Wayne Bennett’s men brushed aside the challenge of the French to warm up for next Sunday’s clash with Papua New Guinea in Melbourne.

But there was a touch of deja vu for England coach Wayne Bennett after his side collected their second win without being totally convincing.

Leading 26-0 after 28 minutes in their final group game against France in Perth, England threatened to run riot but failed to press home their advantage.

It was a similar story to their display against Lebanon a week earlier when they led 22-6 at half-time but scored just seven points after the break.

Asked for his reaction, Bennett said: “We won the game. When they were good, they were good.

“It was the same as last week. The second half wasn’t as good as the first.”

England are now into suddendeat­h football, with unbeaten Papua New Guinea their quarter-final opponents in Melbourne next Sunday, and Bennett admits there are few chances left to polish their performanc­es.

Asked if he was concerned, he said: “Not yet.

“We may not have any more time to get it right but it’s not something that’s going to take a lot of research to get right. It’s going to take a lot of discipline and appreciati­on of what we did to get the 26 points in the first place. It can be fixed.”

Bennett rotated his squad in order to give the rest of his 24-man squad game time before the knockout stages and he hinted that he is likely to revert to the team that began the tournament against Australia, with Sam Burgess almost certain to return from injury.

“I think I pretty much know the team I want,” said Bennett, who insists he is not yet looking ahead to a potential semi-final against Tonga, who were shock

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