It was going so swimmingly for England that one felt a roadblock, or at least a wobble, was imminent. Papua New Guinea looked as though they would present that, given the way they had performed in the group stage. But yet again the hosts made another statement; perhaps their best yet.
For 30 irrepressible minutes in difficult conditions in Wigan, England not only made sure of their place in next Saturday’s semi-finals but underlined why they have the ability to challenge anyone on their day. They were, as their coach said, faultless in a first half when they moved into a 38-0 lead with seven tries of the highest quality.
