Overview
- Tonga followed their shock 30-12 win over England with a 36-0 victory over Lebanon on Friday in Sydney to move to 2-0 and cement their place as early favourites for a semi-final spot.
- England's opening defeat now means they must beat France by a big margin and then outscore Papua New Guinea while also needing Tonga to beat Samoa for any realistic path to the last four.
- Head coach Brian McDermott called the format 'harsh' and stuck with an unchanged 19-man squad for the France game, while players such as Brad O'Neill and Matty Ashton emphasised process over chasing scorelines.
- Injuries and selection choices are reshaping teams: Tonga beat Lebanon without half-back Isaiya Katoa, who was ruled out for that match but will be assessed for the Samoa game, and England omitted Mikey Lewis from the matchday 17.
- The men's tournament was cut to 10 teams after France withdrew from hosting in 2023, producing a partial cross-group table where points difference and head-to-head records decide advancement and leaving little margin for error for top nations.