Rugby League World Cup: Tommy Makinson's record haul sends England into semis with 46-6 win over Papua New Guinea
Tommy Makinson became the first player to score five tries in a Test match for England as the host nation overwhelmed Papua New Guinea at Wigan's DW Stadium in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final; they now play the winners of Sunday's last-eight clash between Samoa and Tonga
By Marc Bazeley at the DW Stadium
Last Updated: 06/11/22 7:13am
Tommy Makinson became the first player to score five tries in a Test match for England as they eased into the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup by overwhelming Papua New Guinea 46-6.
Makinson's treble, along with five conversions, and further scores from Tom Burgess, Dom Young, Kallum Watkins and George Williams ensured England had one foot in the semi-finals by half-time after establishing a 38-0 lead at the DW Stadium in Wigan.
PNG were much improved after the break, but St Helens wing Makinson added a fourth try just after the hour mark and completed his haul in the 77th minute, breaking the record of four which fellow wide man Young had equalled the week before in the 94-4 demolition of Greece.
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The Kumuls did avoid the ignominy of being nilled thanks to a consolation converted try through Jimmy Ngutlik nine minutes from time, but there was no stopping Shaun Wane's men from setting up a showdown with the winners of Sunday's last-eight clash between Samoa and Tonga.
Story of the game
This was a repeat of the 2017 World Cup quarter-final in Melbourne in which England triumphed 36-6, although in the build-up Papua New Guinea head coach Stanley Tepend was adamant his side had heeded the lessons from that meeting five years ago.
However, the Kumuls found themselves 10 points down inside the first 10 minutes after a bruising opening which saw some big carries from both sets of forwards. Among those making inroads for England was prop Burgess and it was his strong running which got the hosts into position to take the lead.
Then when PNG knocked on 10 metres from their line trying to collect Sam Tomkins' grubber kick, giving England a scrum in a superb position, the South Sydney Rabbitohs man was there to drive over under the posts for an opening try in the seventh minute after Herbie Farnworth had gone close.
Team news
Sam Tomkins returned to the England side as captain, with Dom Young and Tommy Makinson lining up on the wings after record try-scorer Ryan Hall was left out. Jack Welsby partnered George Williams in the halves, and Kallum Watkins and Herbie Farnworth resumed their centre partnership.
Watson Boas and Sylvester Namo returned to Papua New Guinea's matchday 17 from the win over Wales in their final Group D, while McKenzie Yei was back for the Kumuls too on the interchange bench.
Goal-kicking winger Makinson duly nailed the conversion and was then on hand for England's second try just two minutes later when he dived to collect a grubber kick from scrum-half Williams and slid over in the left corner for an unconverted score.
When Papua New Guinea did get their hands on the ball, it ended with Rodrick Tai being tackled into touch and soon after England were able to force a goal-line drop-out which allowed them to exert more pressure on the line.
Williams' kicking game was proving problematic for PNG to deal with in the wet conditions too and when the Warrington Wolves half sent a last-tackle kick to the centre of the field in the 16th minute, it led to Young finishing for his ninth try of the tournament after being sent over wide on the right by Watkins.
Fellow winger Makinson once again obliged with the conversion and added to his own try tally at the midway point of the first half from another Williams kick, this time out-jumping Tai and finishing from close range for another converted score.
England 46-6 Papua New Guinea score summary
England: Tries โ Tommy Makinson (5), Tom Burgess, Dom Young, George Williams, Kallum Watkins; Goal โ Tommy Makinson (5).
Papua New Guinea: Try โ Jimmy Ngutlik; Goal โ Rhyse Martin.
England then made it back-to-back tries two minutes later as full-back Tomkins broke the Papua New Guinea line following the restart, with Watkins continuing the run and then passing inside to support-runner Williams who slid over under the posts despite being tackled.
Young and Watkins then combined again for England's sixth try of the half, with the Newcastle Knights winger taking a cut-out pass to the right and flicking the ball back inside for the Salford Red Devils man to finish in the 24th minute.
Makinson completed his hat-trick in odd circumstances two minutes later, grounding the ball in goal after PNG skipper Rhyse Martin had dropped it from a kick but not having the try confirmed until a captain's challenge by England overturned referee Liam Moore's initial decision of a drop-out.
The Kumuls did finally manage to threaten the hosts' line before the end of the half, albeit without being able to breach the defence, and were more in the contest when the second half got under way.
However, all they had to show for their efforts was Ngutlik's late try, converted by Leeds Rhinos back row Martin, and when Makinson grabbed two more tries in the final quarter it equalled a feat only achieved for England by Kris Radlinski in a 110-0 win over the USA in a pre-World Cup warm-up game 22 years ago.
The 31-year-old also finished with 30 points, drawing level with the individual World Cup points-scored record set by fellow England squad member Marc Sneyd - not picked for this match - in the win over Greece in the final Group A match.
What's next?
England advance to the second semi-final at the Emirates Stadium next Saturday (2.30pm). They face the winner of Sunday's quarter-final between Group A runners-up Samoa and Group D winners in Tonga, who face off at the Halliwell Jones Stadium (2.30pm).
