England 94-4 Greece: Rugby League World Cup – as it happened

Mike McMeeken goes over for England’s seventeenth try of the game. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

4.46pm BST

Report: England 94-4 Greece

As far as today’s action in Pool A is concerned, here’s Aaron Bower’s report from Bramall Lane.

Later today Pool B will wrap up, with Fiji v Scotland and Australia v Italy. The Fijians and Italians will be shooting for the remaining qualifying spot from that.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Updated at 4.46pm BST

4.41pm BST

Incidentally, a point of order regarding tomorrow’s crunch meeting between Samoa and France at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium.

A mild snafu on the official website originally stated that the inaugural Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup final, which takes place after that 5pm GMT kick-off, was free entry, like all other matches in that tournament.

RLWC HQ confirmed to me yesterday that this isn’t actually the case, and although the PDRL 3rd/4th-place playoff (Wales v Australia) on Victoria Park is indeed free entry, the final – England v New Zealand – is by ticket only to those who have forked out for Samoa v France.

That PDRL final is a 7pm kick-off, which will also be aired on the BBC website and iPlayer.

Updated at 5.01pm BST

4.36pm BST

Victory for England gives them a maximum six points from Pool A, with a points difference of 168. Greece’s World Cup debut sees them depart winless, with -180 to their name, but they’re off and running at this level and have tries at a global tournament against all of England, Samoa and France, which is a very decent base to build on.

Updated at 5.12pm BST

4.30pm BST

England coach Shaun Wane speaks!

Job done, an awkward fixture and fair play to Greece, they’ve turned up and didn’t give in until the end. I thought we did a lot of good things today but it’ll be a different challenge next week.

[Debutants Pearce-Paul and Batchelor] did a really, really good job. That’s a really good backroom staff win.

This week will be really, really easy for me. I’ll pick 17 players I think can beat [potential opponents] Papua New Guinea, and it shouldn’t be hard. We’ll have a physical week – we’ve been lacking a bit of physicality in our games, so we’ll be ready.

4.26pm BST

Man of the match Marc Sneyd speaks!

We tried to play a certain way with one eye on next week, but it was quite hard to do with the way we ended up. We were racking up points on a regular basis … it was quite hard to – momentum’s the wrong word – some practice in for next week. To put on a scoreline like that in a World Cup, We ain’t gonna complain. We’re gonna enjoy it and be happy about it.

It’s my first time being a part of it and I’m just gonna enjoy every minute of it and just hope I’ve done enough to get in [to next week’s lineup].

Updated at 4.27pm BST

4.20pm BST

Full time! England 94-4 Greece

Let’s face it, a 90-point gulf is plenty. Remorseless stuff from England, who now shift their attention to a quarter-final at Wigan’s DW Stadium next Saturday.

4.19pm BST

78 min: A well-picked-out offside call from the referee denies the hosts the chance of bringing up the 100-point mark with just over a minute and a half to go.

4.16pm BST

Converted try! England 94-4 Greece (McMeeken)

77 min: Gloriously unselfish from Young, who looks like having an opening on the right for his fifth but correctly opts to offload under a tackle to put McMeeken in. Another brilliant kick from Sneyd puts the century one converted try aware from Wane’s men.

4.14pm BST

Converted try! England 88-4 Greece (Ackers)

75 min: Possibly, but don’t rule it out. Ackers crosses again, from another blistering break after a quickfire burst with Burgess, Sneyd and Hall combining to devastating effect. Sneyd pops another conversion over.

Andy Ackers goes over to score England’s sixteenth try. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Updated at 4.24pm BST

4.12pm BST

Converted try! England 82-4 Greece (Pearce-Paul)

73 min: England are still full of running and Greece can only muster up a jog from some positions. Having made hay on the right in the first half, England have mainly prioritised the left this half. This time, with the Greek defenders standing off him, Williams slows to a walk, and picks out Pearce-Paul, who takes the invitation for a debut try of his own.

Sneyd hits the post with his attempt at the extras. Does that leave the century out of reach?

Kai Pearce-Paul goes over for England’s fifteenth try of the game. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Updated at 4.26pm BST

4.07pm BST

Converted try! England 78-4 Greece (Ackers)

66 min: Mitsias takes a high ball on his line, and for his trouble is absolutely and comprehensively flattened by Welsby and Knowles. To be honest I’m surprised to see him get up straight away, as that was utterly brutal.

From there it’s all a bit daft, as Ilias’s awful kick from under the posts is more or less handed to England on the right well within the Greek 22.

The Greek line, still having not quite regrouped from the initial tackle on Mitsias, is tangled around itself like a ball of wool, and Andy Ackers, who has been cracking today, charges over for his side’s 14th try of the afternoon. Sneyd converts.

Andy Ackers scores England’s fourteenth try of the game. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Updated at 5.58pm BST

4.00pm BST

Try! England 72-4 Greece (Batchelor)

62 min: There was genuinely a point of this match where honours were not actually that uneven. The pace and power on show is a complete mismatch now, however.

Ackers sends a beautiful, rapid-fire pass out to open up space, and both Batchelor and Hall are completely unattended on the left. It’s the Saints man and debutant who touches down, however.

3.56pm BST

Converted try! England 68-4 Greece (Hall)

59 min: Sneyd again is at the heart after two England men smash the ball out of Greek hands. He misses out two men with a gorgeous pass out to the left wing, where Hall brings up his second try of the day with space to spare.

Sneyd, from almost the advertising hoardings, brings up his 10th conversion from 12 attempts.

Ryan Hall goes over to score England’s twelfth try. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images for RLWC

Updated at 4.28pm BST

3.53pm BST

56 min: England 62-4 Greece Burgess, really quite understandably, is attracting three or four defenders every time he gets on the ball. With the line all over the place, Batchelor finds an opening but opts to hold on with options either side crying out to be used. Lees then knocks on under no pressure for another rare stoppage.

3.49pm BST

Converted try! England 62-4 Greece (Burgess)

53 min: I’m going to completely level with you, what appeared to happen there was that play resumed, I blinked, and then the next thing I saw was Burgess going over the line. Wane’s charges are really not farting about. Sneyd is up to nine conversations today now.

3.46pm BST

53 min: England 56-4 Greece A brief interlude after Young is clattered in the air, and with his hands out of action, ends up taking the ball flush on the bonce, which I will never not find at least partly funny. He’s back up and play resumes. But will England take a few mins to allow my fingers to gather their thoughts? No they will not …

3.44pm BST

Converted try! England 56-4 Greece (Sneyd)

49 min: The speed of the English defence is making it a nightmare for Greece to find a way through. Williams picks up behind his own line from a vain, attempted dink through, and rather than trying to cling on in his own 22 to allow his side to regroup … he gets the crowd on their feet by turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Bateman takes over, bulldozes through midfield, and releases Sneyd who charges under the posts. He converts to take his personal haul for the day to 20 points.

Marc Sneyd scampers towards the try line and then diving over to score England’s tenth try of the game. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Updated at 4.03pm BST

3.40pm BST

46 min: England 50-4 Greece First prolonged bit of possession this half from Greece. Meads is clattered by Knowles, which brings up a penalty, and this is the closest the underdogs have been to the England line in quite some time.

3.37pm BST

Converted try! England 48-4 Greece (Makinson)

42 min: By god this is messy … a popped ball over the top from Sneyd early in a fresh set unleashes cartoonish mayhem. Ilias attempts to hoof it out of play but finds nothing but fresh air, and from there England mainly compete with one another for who’s actually touching it down. Tommy Makinson, it turns out.

Ben Thaler, the video ref, takes a breath to untangle it all, finds nothing to quibble with, and Sneyd adds his seventh conversion as England bring up the half-century.

Tommy Makinson celebrates after going over to score England’s ninth try. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images for RLWC

Updated at 4.01pm BST

3.32pm BST

41 min: England 44-4 Greece The minnows try and close Young down after they kick and press. Progress back up the field is far, far too easy however …

3.30pm BST

A word on the crowd today. Suffice to say it’s gappy, as you might expect for a dead rubber in a 32,000-capacity ground in a country where the biggest clubs are only averaging 12,000. Bear in mind the biggest crowd outside Magic Weekend last season was 19,210.

The RFL have been talking a good game about aggregate attendances and the tournament being on course for its biggest numbers overall, but it would surely have been better to have crowds touching the sides all-round in this group stages.

The teams are out again. Second half incoming …

3.24pm BST

Half-time: England 44-4 Greece

A big team-talk needed in the Greek changies just to keep their heads up and in the game at all now. Shaun Wane might have been grumpy early on at some sloppiness and slow releasing from his England side, but they’re finding space at will now, and there’s a heavy final score on the way now, you fear.

There is, however, plenty to be heartened by for Greece, as Taukamo’s try was beautifully taken and they were in the match for a decent little spell there.

3.19pm BST

Converted try! England 44-4 Greece (Williams)

40 mins: Ominous signs of premature knackeredness from the Greece defence. Hill bursts free into the opposing half, and releases perfectly to give Williams the option of running in himself or passing any one of three teammates in for a simple walk over the line. He keeps it to himself, and understandably so.

This match was surprisingly even for a spell, but that already feels a long, long time ago. Sneyd closes out the half with another successful kick.

England's George Williams scores their side's eighth try of the game. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Updated at 3.37pm BST

3.15pm BST

Converted try! England 38-4 (Young quadruple)

37 mins: It’s a bloody good job I can touch type, that’s all I’m saying. It’s the same combination again, with Pearce-Paul and Young having just one man to get by on the right again. That’s now four in 23 minutes for Young, and Sneyd’s eye is in with the boot now. Arrrrrggh. And England are off again …

Dominic Young scores his fourth and England’s seventh try of the game. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Updated at 3.44pm BST

3.12pm BST

Converted try! England 32-4 Greece (Young hat-trick)

35 mins: Quick hands from Pearce-Paul puts England in again. He moves it on in an instant to open up another chance for Young on the right wing, and suddenly that’s a 21-minute hat-trick. Sneyd pops another good ‘un betwixt sticks. And oh god … they’re attacking again …

Dominic Young goes over to score his hat trick try and England’s fifth. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Updated at 3.46pm BST

3.09pm BST

Converted try! England 26-4 Greece (Burgess)

32 mins: Good lord. Tom Burgess smashes through three men and if anything is actually still picking up speed to the point that he touches down. We’re suddenly in scoring-quicker-than-I-can-type territory … strap in. Sneyd gets his kick over this time.

Tom Burgess barges his way through the Greek defence to score England’s fifth try of the game. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Updated at 6.04pm BST

3.07pm BST

Try! England 20-4 Greece (Hall)

28 mins: A whiff of some floodgates working their way open here. Burgess smashes into a brace of defenders, and from there it’s worked to Sneyd, who sees the gaps open once more and pops a kick towards the left corner. From there Ryan Hall steams through two men and touches down. Another miss from Sneyd though, who is getting annoyed with himself off the tee.

Elsewhere, Radley is wincing and Morgan Knowles has swapped in for him.

England's Ryan Hall scores his side's fourth try of the game. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Updated at 3.23pm BST

3.02pm BST

Converted try! England 16-4 Greece (Young)

25 mins: Greece have been keeping a good shape on the whole, but when the pace is picked up, the gaps are yawning. Young has a third of the pitch to himself after Williams arcs a long pass over the top, and has plenty of time to fall exaggeratedly over the line on the right. That’s two for the Newcastle Knights man, and Sneyd adds his second conversion of the game.

2.58pm BST

22 mins: England 10-4 Greece A brief interlude as the video referee has a look to check a late challenge as England attack. On-field decision upheld, and Wane’s side are tapping on the door once again. They’re getting a little lost in central areas, however, and possession is coughed up.

2.54pm BST

Try! England 10-4 Greece (Taukamo)

18 mins: And blimey, they don’t half take advantage! Hall thinks he can intercept a pass but Siteni Taukamo, the Greece full-back, gets a hand to it, shimmes, and leave his man sprawled watching the ensuing passage of play from afar. From there Taukamo’s eyes widen and to say he hurtles adrenalised to the line would be a grave understatement. A really well-worked move and on the balance of play, a deserves score. Ilias is unable to add the conversion, however.

Siteni Taukamo of Greece goes over to score his sides first try. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images for RLWC

Updated at 3.15pm BST

2.50pm BST

17 mins: England 10-0 Greece Young can’t deal with a skied kick and once again the underdogs get a spell of possession well within sight of England’s line …

2.47pm BST

Try! England 10-0 Greece (Young)

14 mins: Once again the Greeks pass up possession in their own 22. England move from left to right, before Bateman embarrasses Constantinou with a borderline ludicrous basketball-style pass over the defender’s head out to Young in space on the wing. The Newcastle Knights winger takes it from there. Sneyd scuffs his conversion attempt from out wide.

Dominic Young of England goes over to score his side’s second try. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Updated at 3.18pm BST

2.44pm BST

10 mins: England 6-0 Greece Some surprisingly nervy moments for England, after they cough up the ball under relatively little pressure. It’s been a prolonged spell since they crossed halfway, but once there, the difference in class starts to show.

2.41pm BST

7 mins: England 6-0 Greece Some nice possession for Greece in immediate response, as they tap away on the right wing. They get a third set of six, and eventually find Mitsias with a glimmer of an opening. He hesitates at the crucial moment as England’s defence re-gathers, is held up, and possession turns over.

2.38pm BST

Converted try! England 6-0 Greece (Lees)

4 mins: Uh oh. The hosts charge on receipt of Ilias’s kick, with Greece a man down after a knock in the preceding play. Ominous signs as Sneyd puts Lees through in almost absurdly straightforward fashion – that’s Lees’ first try for his country in his second appearance. Sneyd himself adds the extras.

England’s Matty Lees (left) goes over to score his side’s first try of the game. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Then celebrates. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Updated at 2.47pm BST

2.34pm BST

2 mins: England 0-0 Greece England receive and make immediate headway towards Greece’s 22. Williams tries to dink one through on the last tackle, but the Grecian defence gathers well. A mistake immediately follows however, and they are bundled before their own line for a drop-out under their own posts …

2.32pm BST

I can report that at least two England players still haven’t got their head around the fact that the words are now “God save the King”. That’s an adjustment that’s going to take quite some time, I guess.

A little bit of history to report: Belinda Sharpe is today’s referee – the first woman to helm matters at either a men’s England or Greece international. Lachlan Ilias will kick us off …

2.27pm BST

As always with modern rugby league in England, it’s a relief to see the teams out on the field more than 30 seconds before the scheduled kick-off time (admittedly less of a problem with 2.30pm KOs than 8pms where putting a newspaper together is concerned).

Bit of anthem action is imminent, and then away we shall go …

2.25pm BST

In the sole round three match so far, New Zealand put Ireland on the brink of a tournament exit last night after running in 10 tries for a 48-10 win that secured them top spot in Pool C. Ed Chamberlain kicked the Wolfhounds into a surprise early lead at Headingley but the world’s top-ranked team roared back with returning half-back Jahrome Hughes getting the first try, then setting up two scores for Peta Hiku and one for Jordan Rapana.

The Kiwis led 24-6 at half time and continued to dominate despite Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ yellow card just before the interval. Hughes and Rapana scored their second tries, with Ronaldo Mulitalo, James Fisher-Harris, Kenny Bromwich and Joey also touching down. Will Senior went over for Ireland once in each half, taking his tournament try tally to six.

Michael Maguire’s Irish side are now facing an early exit from the tournament, unless Lebanon slip to an unexpected loss against Jamaica on Sunday in the final game of the group. PA Media

Updated at 2.25pm BST

2.22pm BST

England’s Victor Radley, who has sent eyebrows shooting for the stars regarding his decision to represent the country of his father Nigel’s birth, will take to the field today in Radley Sr’s home city. The Sydney Roosters loose-forward, speaking in the lead-up to the game, said: “I’ve got like 60 people coming from all over the world for this game …”

Can you imagine if Wane had seen him as among the rotatables today …

2.13pm BST

Seven changes then for England, and some squareish pegs into round holes.

Wigan’s Kai Pearce-Paul and St Helens’ Joe Batchelor both make debuts, while Warrington’s George Williams is captain, as Tommy Makinson, normally seen hugging the wing, comes in for Sam Tomkins at full-back.

Jack Welsby, Mike Cooper, Andy Ackers and Matty Lees also come in to the starting lineup.

For Greece, captain Jordan Meads returns to their side after a bug, while Billy Magoulias has already flown home to be on hand for the birth of his first child (awww). The loose-forward was released early from his Warrington contract in June on compassionate grounds.

Updated at 2.14pm BST

1.55pm BST

The teams!

England Makinson; Young, Pearce-Paul, Welsby, Hall; Sneyd, Williams (capt); Cooper, Ackers, Lees, Batchelor, Bateman, Radley
Interchange Knowles, McMeeken, Burgess, Hill

Greece Taukamo; Mougios, Vrahnos, Constantinou, Mitsias; Ilias, Meads (capt); Tuliatu, Mamouzelos, Rousoglou, Zampetides, Kambos, Flocas
Interchange Nake, Sell, Katsidonis, Nianiakas

Updated at 2.03pm BST

1.55pm BST

Preamble

Hello! More final group stage game action this afternoon, and after New Zealand’s canter past Ireland last night, Shaun Wane’s England are targeting three wins from their opening games.

So far there’s been surprisingly smooth progress past Samoa, a rockier but still-comfy-looking path beyond France, and now the time arrives to try and secure top spot in Pool A against minnows Greece. For the group’s bottom side, keeping their aggregate points difference below -100 – which would involve keeping the score to within 10 of the hosts – would represent an astonishing result. That said, news arrives that Wane has rung the changes, of which more imminently …

Kick-off at Bramall Lane is at 2.30pm BST.