Makinson converts and England have made a MASSIVE statement here tonight!!
Burgess scores. Deary me!
RADLEY with the 40/20
No good for Tommy.
Williams scored. FOX's feed cut out again and came back as George Williams crossed. Anyone could've crossed there. Williams just had to walk over.
Makinson converts. England hit 50! Samoa can't win the WC now.
Makinson secures the grounding.
VIDEO REF: Klein has a try and Makinson could be joining the party.
PENALTY ENGLAND: Kickoff went OUT on the FULL.
Makinson converts. 44-6.
England go COAST TO COAST. Whitehead gets number TWO! This is a clinic of brilliant attack. It was a great ball from Williams to Makinson, the pass did appear to go forward back inside to Whitehead, but it was ruled ok as the Canberra Raider crossed for his second in two minutes.
Makinson converts - 38-6.
We only needed one look and Whitehead crashes down. This is going from bad to worse for Samoa.
VIDEO REF: Klein has a TRY, looking to confirm Elliott Whitehead gets it down.
PENALTY ENGLAND: Dropout fails to go over the 10 meters.
Williams delivered a great grubber and Joseph Suaalii had no option but to play at the football.
Samoa go short and England recover
Makinson's kick is GOOD.
Over goes Farnworth. That seals it for England now. Not the best pass from Radley out of dummy half but it did enough to fool the Samoan defence and Herbie crashes over.
PENALTY ENGLAND: Offside. Samoa falling apart
Makinson shooting for two and he is able to convert off the upright.
Off he goes! Milford goes to the bin. That was a horrible tackle.
PENALTY ENGLAND: Tomkins hit late and forceful from Anthony Milford.
Leniu puts it down this time for Samoa.
PENALTY SAMOA: George Williams with the second effort.
Josh Papali'i puts it down. Just not going right for Samoa here this afternoon.
PENALTY SAMOA: They reach in on Levi and were judged to be off-side.
Samoa 10 out from the line!
Bit of a push and shove after Dominic Young loses possession.
Kelma Tuilagi loses the ball in good attacking field position. England going back on the attack.
PENALTY SAMOA: Offside was the ruling. Luai kicks for line.
England causing all sorts of problems down both ends of the park now. Samoa working it away from their own end.
Makinson converts.
Over go England! It's Kallum Watkins who scores. England decided to chance their arm on the last tackle and they get rewarded. Brilliant raid down the right following a great pass. England extend!
Samoa now starting to advance up field. Just over half-way.
FOX's coverage has gone to black...
May also lost the ball in that instance.
Stretcher coming here for May.
Samoa starting to open the Poms up... As I say that, there is significant concerns for Tyrone May!
Samoa taken just a few meters out from the line and it's a change-over. On the injury front, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will NOT return.
OFF WE GO! Can Samoa stem the tide? Or will England run away with it. Only way to find out is to stay glued to LU!
Half-Time from St James' Park in Newcastle. England were running away with it, but Samoa have stemmed the bleeding here. 18-6 is our half-time score.
Here's the decision... NO TRY Samoa - Crichton loses it
VIDEO REF: Klein has NO TRY with Stephen Crichton claiming a try.
Oh dear, Williams' pass was ruled forward. Klein was in great position.
Samoa have hooked Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. Tyrone May is ON
Crichton's kick is successful and Samoa are able to chip into this English lead.
PICKED OFF: Intercepted by Izack Tago and he races away to put Samoa on the board here.
THIS KID IS SPECIAL. Joseph Suaalii breaks through 5 tackles, but puts it down at the final hurdle.
Samoa hang on as Brian To'o catches the Welsby chip.
Makinson's kick from the touchline is pushed to the right.
How about number two for Dominic. It's a double for the Newcastle man IN NEWCASTLE! They punish Samoa for their mistake.
Kelma Tuilagi forces the issue to Tago and comes up with a poor pass.
England convert their set after points.
Makinson converts. England 14 - Samoa 0.
BANG BANG. Back to back tries for the England side. It was a brilliant ball from Welsby who exposed a 3 on 2, Dominic Young was able to race down the touch-line and beat the cover defence from Joseph Suaalii.
Makinson's conversion is successful. England leading Samoa by 8-0 here at St James' Park.
First try of the World Cup goes to England and it's this young electric 5/8 Jack Welsby. It was a great run from George Williams who ran onto a great ball from Sam Tomkins, from there Williams found Jack Welsby and the young St Helens star raced away to score the first try of the tournament.
Samoa's kicking game just not cutting it at the moment.
Milford's grubber is scooped up by Welsby who races up field. Great match-up here early between the two powerhouses of Pool A.
PENALTY SAMOA: Illegal strip by the English player Mike McMeeken
Crichton's there to pick it up and he runs up field. Samoa now back up to half-way.
Braden Hamlin-Uele is in discomfort with his calf, he's in tears on the sideline. He won't be back.
PENALTY ENGLAND: Offside off the scrum.
Luai loses it. Challenge is unsuccessful. Samoa burn their challenge in the opening 15.
Luai loses the ball in good ball territory. We do have the captain's challenge here. Rob Hicks is our CC official here assisting Adam Gee.
Set restart Samoa: Ruck infringement.
Farnworth knocks it down and saves a try. Samoa causing problems with the offloads. Milford's pass knocked down by Herbie.
Braden Hamlin-Uele has come off replaced by Kelma Tuilagi. BBC did say he left with a knock but it's unconfirmed.
NO TRY: Burgess has bounced it, Samoa are off the hook again
VIDEO REF: Klein has NO TRY, Thomas Burgess looks to have bounced this one according to Klein.
Levi is ok and we're playing on!
Hill goes meters close. On the next play, Sam Tomkins goes from dummy half and is taken over the line, only problem is he's up the entire time. Samoan player down, looks like Danny Levi.
Set restart England: Ruck infringement as the siren sounds
Welsby's grubber was well picked up by Suaalii redeeming himself from the error that put his side under pressure. Victor Radley having a big impact in this one early.
Suaalii knocks it on trying to recover the Wiilliams chip and chase. England get the ball in good attacking field position.
Samoa's final tackle didn't amount to much as Herbie Farnworth gets easy meters back up field.
England convert their set after points here. But they give away a set restart on tackle 1 as Joseph Suaalii was interfered with.
Makinson converts from short fire range. England lead 2-0 in the early going in Newcastle.
England will shoot for a penalty goal from close range.
NO TRY: Herbie Farnworth loses the ball. But Anthony Milford takes out Elliott Whitehead and it'll be a penalty to England.
VIDEO REF: Live decision of NO TRY confirming no interference and a knock on from Herbie Farnworth.
First chance for England here in this World Cup!
Set restart England - ruck infringement against Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Patient early kick from Milford. He was looking for the 40/20 but was just short on that occasion.
Both sides get through their opening sets here in this one. England with a slight advantage in the field position battle. Samoa now working it away from their own end.
OFF WE GO! The 2021 Rugby League World Cup is underway as Ashley Klein blows time on. Samoa will receive the first use of the football here.
So we have a delay to the match kickoff here. Pretty shambolic if you ask me.
Ashley Klein is tonight’s referee, Jack Smith and Warren Turley from the Super League are our touch judges and our video referee is Adam Gee. Klein was the leading referee in the NRL this season, officiating in the State of Origin series as well as the Grand Final.
On the team front, England are still without the services of John Bateman who is suspended following a red card offence in the Super League preliminary final, so Mike McMeeken starts in his absence. Herbie Farnworth plays his first competitive fixture since early June, while Victor Radley makes his long awaited international debut. For Samoa, all the focus will be on the new look spine of Suaalii, Luai, Milford and Levi.
Hello and welcome to League Unlimited’s coverage of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. A tournament 5 years in the making, and one that will deliver lots of twists and turns over the next few weeks. Tonight’s opener sees two powerhouses go head to head in England and Samoa from St James Park in Newcastle, both finals participants in the last World Cup and desperate to advance further this year. England and Samoa last met in 2017, with England winning that international 30-10, at Campbelltown Stadium but a lot has changed in the last five years.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ashley Klein
Touch Judges: Jack Smith, Warren Turley
Video Referee: Adam Gee
ENGLAND MEN (60)
Tries: Tom Makinson, Jack Welsby, Dominic Young (2), Kallum Watkins, Herbie Farnworth, Elliott Whitehead (2), George Williams, Thomas Burgess
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Tom Makinson (8/10)
Penalty Goals: Tom Makinson (2/2)
SAMOA MEN (6)
Tries: Izack Tago
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Stephen Crichton (1/1)
Penalty Goals: