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England 29-10 Lebanon: Rugby League World Cup 2017 – as it happened

This article is more than 6 years old
  • England ran in five tries to beat Lebanon 29-10 at Allianz Park in Sydney
  • Lebanon also got two scores as England failed to bury the minnows
 Updated 
Sat 4 Nov 2017 07.16 EDTFirst published on Sat 4 Nov 2017 04.42 EDT
Kallum Watkins, centre, is congratulated after an England try.
Kallum Watkins, centre, is congratulated after an England try. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Kallum Watkins, centre, is congratulated after an England try. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

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Key events

Aaron Bower’s report will drop shortly but that is it from me, but make sure to follow our coverage as it continues throughout the World Cup.

Final thoughts

Well England get the result they want and what was expected but the scoreline was a little underwhelming. In terms of tries the two sides were level after the break with England failing to make the most of superior territory and possession.

Wayne Bennett will take the positives, a win and now very likely progress into the quarter-finals but he will have areas he wants to improve on in the final pool game against France.

For Lebanon, they were resolute, scored two tries against a quality side and did not crumble. Robbie Farah said post-match that some decisions went against them but in truth some of the harsh forward pass calls against England stopped the score really building up.

Full time: England 29-10 Lebanon

Widdop kicks a drop goal from in front of Lebanon posts with the last play of the game but that was a little disappointing in terms of England looking to pile on the points in the second half.

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78 mins: England look to have scored but another forward pass from Watkins to McGillvary sees the play come back for a Lebanon scrum. Some debate about that one but more care on that pass and it still would have been an easy finish.

Try! England 28-10 (Wehbe)

76 mins: It looks as if England have repelled the Lebanese but a pass is darted out to Moses, who dances in front of the England line and offloads to Wehbe who powers over Bateman defending at centre, with the TV replays showing he did manage to get the ball down. Moses misses the extras but that was some spirited attacking from his team

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73 mins: It is back-to-back sets for Lebanon as a knock on gives them another head and feed. England forced to defend.

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71 mins: Widdop grounds the ball behind his own try line and England are forced to drop out from under their own sticks. Lebanon get a chance to attack again and when Moses kicks into the legs of the England defender to give them the head and feed.

70 mins: Great kick from Hodgson puts Abou-Sleiman under pressure as it stops a yard short of touch and the Lebanese are briefly under pressure until a cheap penalty gives them the chance to get out. It has been frustrating pursuit of extra tries for England this half, credit Lebanon who have by no means conceded this game.

68 mins: Lebanon get some respite with an attacking set in the England half. It ends with a contested high kick out to the England left that ends the attack.

66 mins: Lebanon put their hands on the ball as Hodgson carries forward and England get a penalty, then another shortly after. Ill-discipline starting to creep on the tiring Lebanese now as they are forced into repeated defensive sets.

63 mins: Williams shows what he can do with a delicate kick through but Lebanon get hold of it and can come the other way. James Graham is still working like it is the first.

60 mins: Lebanon clearly want to in the England half, another kick into the corner pins the leaders back but only temporarily. The minnows are tiring. George Williams is now on for Ratchford, could make for an interesting last 20 minutes.

Nick Kassis of Lebanon is crowded out. Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty Images
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Try! England 28-6 Lebanon (T Burgess)

56 mins: What a run from Tom Burgess! James Graham sets up the try by drawing the defender but after that a wonderful sidestep from Burgess takes out the full back and he charges in to dive over the line. No way he was offloading despite the chasing Lebanese and both Burgess brothers watching on absolutely love it. Widdop adds the extra two.

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55 mins: Moses drills a kick into touch and England have the head and feed but deep in their own 22. Clever from Moses and England now have to drive out from deep.

52 mins: Gale puts through a testing kick and Lebanon are forced to concede a drop out from under the sticks to give England good field position. Another forward pass from Whitehead ends the attack and gives Lebanon the feed.

50 mins: Whitehead and Watkins force Douehi out on the sideline and head and feed to England, great defensive work there.

48 mins: Moses with another bit of elusive play on the final tackle to set up a deep kick and an English drop out. Moses’s piece of skill gets the Lebanese in the crowd up on their feet.

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46 mins: England not quite executing yet as Whitehead chucks a forward pass out to the right on the bounce and Lebanon get a chance to run it out.

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44 mins: Walmsley comes off the line with huge speed for a big hit in midfield to force an error and England get into Lebanese territory. A penalty for a shoulder charge on the last tackle gives England another set. Score coming you feel.

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42 mins: Play stops for a bit of a scuffle. This referee camera is great as he unpicks what has gone on. There was a scrap between Robbie Farah and Jermaine McGillvary, the Lebanese is alleging a bite. Replay shows there might be a case to answer there but it far from clear.

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You would expect England to run up a bit of a score now. In the BBC studio they are talking up 50+, that might make my job tougher but it would be good for the English confidence.

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Nathan, a Wigan exile in Chiswick, has emailed in: “Sean O’Loughlin proving the difference today as England are benefitting from a loose forward who can play like a half back. It is a dying trait with not many around in his mould as many teams are using the an an extra prop or second row. Nice to see.”

Half-time: England 22-6 Lebanon

A good half for England in the end, after initially being pegged back by the Lebanese. As expected Bennett’s team now in complete control.

Kallum Watkins andEngland celebrate a try in that first half. Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty Images
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40 mins: Douehi makes a great tackle on the try line to deny a rampaging Watkins and that is that pretty much that for the first half.

39 mins: We go to the vide referee to see if the Lebanon full-back Abou-Sleiman grounded the ball after knocking on Widdop’s kick through. He gets away with but Lebanon have to kick out from under the sticks and England have a full minute to add another score.

38 mins: There was almost an opportunity for Lebanon in midfield as Moses beats his man but cannot execute the pass with a three on two.

35 mins: Alex Walmsley is on and is immediately up into Lebanon territory after another penalty from from Farah. A poor kick by Gale on the last tackle allows Lebanon to clear but it is a temporary fix and England come right back at them

Try! England 22-6 (Currie)

33 mins: England now starting to make their dominance tell. Currie gratefully collects from Hodgson after he stepped out from dummy half and slips between the A and B defender to dart through and score on his first start. Widdop adds the extras this time.

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Try! England 16-6 Lebanon (Hall)

28 mins: England work the ball from left to right with O’Loughlin and Gale, he finds Bateman who this time gets the offload away to Hall and after a check from the video referee to see if the scorer maintained control of the ball (very debatable), the try is given. Widdop misses the goal from out wide.

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Try! England 12-6 Lebanon (McGillvary)

25 mins: The offload from Gale opens up another chance for Watkins who beats his man to make a two on one on the right, a quick pass out of the back of the hand allows McGillvary any easy score. He touches down around the back of the posts allowing Widdop an easy goal.

22 mins: A Farah kick through is not collected by Ratchford on the slide and gives Lebanon a full set deep in England territory. Moses darts across the line and almost finds a gap before Bateman drags him down. Farah’s kick on the last tackle is not so good this time and Watkins collects. A real let off.

Sean O’Loughlin is tackled by Mitchell Moses. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
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Try! England 6-6 Lebanon (Kassis)

18 mins: A great attacking set from Lebanon set after Whitehead was penalised for stripping the ball in the tackle. Farah puts a neat kick through which Widdop fumbles on the dewy turf, allowing Kassis to touch down! Moses adds the extra two points and we’re all square.

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16 mins: England look to be in again on the right with McGillvary the extra man but it is a forward pass and Lebanon get the put in at the scrum.

14 mins: Decent attacking set by Lebanon but a decent carry from Bateman brings them out and he earns a penalty to give England an easy out.

12 mins: As to be expected, this is all England at the moment. They look to be in again with McGillvary but some desperate defence holds him up just short of the line.

Try! England 6-0 Lebanon (Watkins)

8 mins: Kallum Watkins goes over in the corner after great work going from left to right. England drew out the Lebanese defence and then hit on the overlap to put Watkins in the clear in the corner. The extras are added to. England lead 6-0.

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5 mins: First scrum and it’s great field position for England. They make good use it of and have a full set in the Lebanese 22. Quick defence from Lebanon keeps England at bay, Widdop tries a little quick through but it comes to nothing. They get another scrum though. All hands to the pump for Lebanon.

3 mins: Not a lot being given away by either side as they exchange quick sets up front. England do get deep into Lebanon half but cannot progress on the last tackle and are forced to kick.

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There is a man with a didgeridoo out on the pitch, I think that means we are almost ready... And here come the teams. There’s a lot of Lebanese fans in the stadium so these anthems will be heartily sung.

Kick-off is scheduled for 9am, but we are yet to see the teams out on the pitch yet so that appears to be a little delayed.

We have already a couple of results this morning. Not great news for Scotland who got a bit of a shellacking against New Zealand in Christchurch, losing 74-6. The Pacific Island clash between Tonga and Samoa, saw the former come back to prevail 32-18.

Elijah Taylor of New Zealand heads in for a try against Scotland. Photograph: Ross Setford/AAP
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Preamble

After a spirited defeat in the opener against Australia last week England have a far more presentable opportunity to get their first win on the board against Lebanon.

Two changes to Wayne Bennett’s team should not make too much difference against the tournament’s surprise package, albeit a Lebanon team with a decent smattering of NRL players.

The lack of full-backs in the England squad means that Stefan Ratchford gets the nod as a late replacement, with the Warrington man replacing injured Jonny Lomax. George Williams, the expected replacement instead starts on the bench.

Hooker James Roby, meanwhile, is not named in the match-day squad.

The other change in the 13 has been known about since Sam Burgess limped of the Australia game. Warrington’s Ben Currie also replaces him in the starting line-up.

Kick-off: 9am GMT.

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Teams

England: Stefan Ratchford, Jermaine McGillvary, Kallum Watkins, John Bateman, Ryan Hall, Gareth Widdop, Luke Gale, Chris Hill, Josh Hodgson, James Graham, Ben Currie, Elliot Whitehead, Sean O’Loughlin.

Interchanges: Alex Walmsley, Chris Heighington, Thomas Burgess, George Williams.

Extended interchanges: Mike McMeeken, Mark Percival, Stefan Ratchford

Lebanon: Daniel Abou-Sleiman, Travis Robinson, Bilal Maarbani, Adam Doueihi, Abbas Miski, Mitchell Moses, Robbie Farah, Tim Mannah, Michael Lichaa, Alex Twal, Chris Saab, Ahmad Ellaz, Nick Kassis.

Interchanges: Mitchell Mamary, Ray Moujalli, Jamie Clark, Jason Wehbe.

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