England head coach Brian McDermott will be looking for a response from his side on Saturday morning when they take on France at HBF Park in Perth.
The Three Lions were stunned by Tonga in their opening game of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, suffering a 30-12 defeat in Perth last weekend.
It is now essential that they do not have any further slip-ups if they are to reach the knockout stages of this major tournament, so England will need to be ruthless in Saturday's showdown with France.
Les Bleus endured a miserable start to the World Cup with a 78-4 thrashing at the hands of Samoa in Sydney and England look capable of posting another big score in Western Australia this weekend.
England v France Tips Summary
Best Bet - England -48.5 handicap @ 91/100
Alternative Bet - Dominic Young 3 or more tries @ 7/5
Bet Builder - Over 60.5 total points, AJ Brimson & Herbie Farnworth anytime tryscorers @ 11/4
England v France Prediction
Best Bet: England -48.5 handicap @ 91/100
McDermott had plenty to say regarding his side's travel and preparations for their trip to Perth for their opening game against Tonga.
The former Leeds Rhinos boss won’t have room for any more excuses this weekend and he will be demanding a full 80-minute performance from his players at HBF Park.
France were woeful from the off against Samoa in their opening match, conceding three tries in the opening seven minutes of the match at Western Sydney Stadium.
With conditions expected to be largely dry and mild, it should be perfect for England to get the ball through the hands in Perth.
Expect a response from the Three Lions and they can cover the handicap against a France side who have conceded a total of 104 points across their last two games against England.
Alternative Bet: Dominic Young 3 or more tries @ 7/5
Opening his try account at this World Cup in the opening defeat at the hands of the Tongans, Dominic Young can run riot in this one against the French.
A player who almost helped Newcastle Knights achieve NRL Grand Final glory this year, Young is coming into this tournament in excellent form.
Scoring 23 tries in 27 appearances for the Knights in the NRL campaign that just finished, Young bagged two hat-tricks in that season against the Canterbury Bulldogs and Gold Coast Titans.
Against a French defence that is likely to leak plenty of tries, Young is well priced to score three or more tries on Saturday morning.
England v France Bet Builder Tip
Over 60.5 total points
AJ Brimson anytime tryscorer
Herbie Farnworth anytime tryscorer
Pays 11/4
Expected to be a one-sided contest, going for the over 60.5 total points forms the foundation of this three-fold Bet Builder.
Switch focus to the anytime tryscorer market, both AJ Brimson and Herbie Farnworth are fancied to touch down for the Three Lions.
Brimson also bagged a try last time out against Tonga and can follow that up with at least one try on Saturday.
Farnworth enjoyed a strong season with the Dolphins, scoring in all of his last five appearances for the Brisbane-based outfit and he too is backed to score in Perth.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
England are on a four-game losing streak going into this game
France have lost five of their last six games, only beating Morocco 34-10 in that time
England have scored 30 points across their last four matches
England have won all of their previous five meetings with France
France suffered a 40-8 defeat to England in the last meeting between these sides in June 2024
France go into this match on the back of a 78-4 defeat to Samoa in their 2026 World Cup opener
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
