By Rich Cowley, Updated: 14/11/17 (Photo Credit NRLPhotos)
Teams: England v PNG Kumuls
Venue: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Victoria, Australia
Date: Sunday November 19th 2017
TV Kick-off time: 4pm AEDT (Local Time)
UK Kick-off time: London (United Kingdom – England) Sunday, 19 November 2017 at 5:00:00 am GMT
PNG Kick-off time: Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) Sunday, 19 November 2017 at 3:00:00 pm PGT
2017 RLWC TV viewing information: Channel 7 will broadcast all RLWC games in Australia on Free to Air TV and the 7mate App. BBC Will broadcast RLWC games across the UK. Sky Sports will Broadcast all RLWC matches in New Zealand. Fiji TV will Broadcast all matches RLWC matches across the Pacific Islands. EM TV will broadcast all RLWC matches across PNG. Astro will broadcast all RLWC matches across Malaysia. PCCW will broadcast all RLWC matches across Hong Kong. DAZN will broadcast all RLWC matches across Japan. OSN Sports will broadcast all matches across the Middle East. Fox Sports will broadcast all matches across the United States.
Overview: On Sunday afternoon the last quarter final gets underway when England take on the PNG Kumuls in Melbourne. The English finished second in Pool A while PNG finished top of Pool C.
The English are two from three going into this Quarter Finals clash on Sunday after going down to Australia 18 – 4 in the opening match. England bounced back a week later by defeating Lebanon 29 – 10 and France over in Perth 36 – 6. England’s opening game against Australia was promising and with Bennett pulling the strings England will be looking for momentum going into the finals series. This knockout match against a strong Kumuls team will be a great test. If England win they will book a Semi Final place at Mt Smart Stadium Auckland against either Tonga or Lebanon.
The Papua New Guinea Kumuls are undefeated in Pool C after defeating Wales 50 -6, Ireland 14 – 6 and the USA 64 – 0. The 64 – 0 scoreline set a new record for the most points scored by PNG in an International Test or World Cup. The Kumuls have looked super strong in defence and dangerous in attack during the World Cup. PNG have a good chance of defeating England. If the Kumuls are looking for inspiration they need look no further than their shock win over New Zealand 24 – 22 in Port Moresby in the 1986 World Cup tie. Watch rugby league fans in PNG celebrate if the Kumuls manage to knock England out of the World Cup.
In their only previous World Cup meeting England defeated Papua New Guinea 32-22 in Townsville in 2008. These nations last met in 2010 in a Four Nations clash in Auckland England won 36-10.
Kumuls second-rower Rhyse Martin is the second highest point scorer at the World Cup with 38 (two tries, 15 goals). New Zealand’s Shaun Johnson leads with 44.
The Kumuls play in Melbourne for the first time while England have played four Tests in Melbourne for four losses (all v Australia).
Referee: James Child
Touch Judges: Mark Craven, Chris Butler
Video Referee: Steve Chiddy
England v PNG Kumuls teams 2017 RLWC Quarter Finals
England 2017 RLWC Squad:
1 Gareth WIDDOP
2 Jermaine MCGILLVARY
3 Kallum WATKINS
4 John BATEMAN
5 Ryan HALL
6 Kevin Brown
7 Luke GALE
8 Chris HILL
9 Josh HODGSON
10 James GRAHAM
11 Sam BURGESS
12 Elliott WHITEHEAD
13 Sean O’LOUGHLIN (c)
14 Alex WALMSLEY
15 Thomas BURGESS
16 Ben CURRIE
17 James ROBY
18 Chris HEIGHINGTON
19 Mark PERCIVAL
20 Stefan RATCHFORD
21 George WILLIAMS
PNG Kumuls 2017 RLWC Squad:
1 David MEAD (c)
2 Justin OLAM
3 Kato OTTIO
4 Nene MACDONALD
5 Garry LO
6 Ase BOAS
7 Watson BOAS
8 Moses MENINGA
9 James SEGEYARO
10 Luke PAGE
11 Rhyse MARTIN
12 Willie MINOGA
13 Paul AITON
14 Kurt BAPTISTE
15 Stargroth AMEAN
16 Stanton ALBERT
17 Rod Griffin
18 Enock MAKI
19 Wartovo PUARA
20 Thompson TETEHE
21 Lachlan LAM
