Five tries for record-breaking Tommy Makinson helped England to victory.

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup Quarter finals kicked off on Friday night at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield, the reigning champions Australia proved too good for Lebanon with Josh Addo-Carr showing his class scoring five tries in a comfortable 48-4 victory to reach the Semi-Finals, they await the winner of New Zealand and Fiji.

England took center stage on Saturday afternoon facing off with Papua New Guinea at the DW Stadium. Shaun Wane’s side headed into the game off the back of an emphatic 94-4 win against Greece in the third group game having already beaten Samoa and France scoring 196 points in the process.

England showed their class once again scoring three tries in the opening 15 minutes. Tom Burgess powered his way over from close range to open the scoring, Tommy Makinson slid over for his first try of the game before Dom Young scored his ninth try of the tournament. The scoring didn’t stop there as Makinson grabbed his second rising highest to claim the crossfield kick to touchdown.

An unbelievable team try quickly followed, John Bateman broke the defensive line before finding Sam Tomkins in support, the full-back fed Kallum Watkins who managed to offload to George Williams who used the conditions to his advantage to score.

With England in top gear the tries kept flowing, Watkins went over to extend the lead further. A superb first half ended with Makinson completing his hat-trick to cap off a brilliant opening 40 minutes with Shaun Wane’s team 38-0 to the good.

Three became four for Makinson just before the hour mark, offloads from Morgan Knowles and Mike McMeeken allowed Herbie Farnworth to put the winger over for his fourth. PNG did however manage to score a consolation try with ten minutes remaining, a neat kick into the in-goal from  Alex Johnston saw Jimmy Ngutlik first to the ball to touchdown.

After the disappointment of conceding, England hit back instantly and it was that man again Tommy Makinson who scored his fifth try of the game to put his name into the record books as the first England International to score five tries in one game.

A dominant first-half performance put England in full control as they eased past Papua New Guinea to book their spot in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup Semi-Finals. They will find out their opponents tomorrow afternoon as Tonga take on Samoa at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

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