Rugby World Cup: England looking for improved performance against France

Sean O'Loughlin has been England captain since 2014

England will aim to produce their best display of the World Cup so far in their last group game against France on Sunday, says captain Sean O'Loughlin.

England will progress if they win after Australia beat Lebanon on Saturday.

If they go through, Wayne Bennett's side will face the Group C winners - likely to be Papua New Guinea - in the quarter-finals on 19 November.

"This week it's about getting the win, but also improving our performance," said O'Loughlin.

England - who lost to Australia in their opening Group A game but beat Lebanon last weekend - are also likely to go through if they lose because their points difference is vastly superior to France and Lebanon's.

Three of the four teams will qualify from the group.

"It was disappointing not to get the result from the Australia game, but the performance was reasonably good and it was probably a little bit vice versa in the second game," added Wigan loose forward O'Loughlin.

Australian Bennett has made four changes for Sunday's match in Perth (10:00 GMT kick-off), with Mark Percival, Kevin Brown, Mike McMeeken and Scott Taylor coming into the squad.

Ryan Hall, Kallum Watkins, Elliott Whitehead and Chris Heighington are rested, but Jermaine McGillvary is free to play after being cleared of biting.

O'Loughlin, 34, is confident the players coming into the squad will gel.

"They've been mixing it up in training so they're all pretty familiar with each other," he said. "I don't think the changes will affect our combinations too much.

"The boys being rested have played a lot of rugby right at the end of the season so there is a bit of sense behind that."

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'I had to wait for my chance'

Incoming half-back Brown, who will win his seventh cap at the age of 33, says playing for England is the "pinnacle".

"Whatever chance I get to play in a Test, I'm buzzing," he added. "To play in a World Cup it makes it that extra bit special.

"It's been frustrating wanting to play.

"Hopefully I can take my chance now and put some pressure on Wayne when he picks the side for the quarter-finals."

Full-back Stefan Ratchford says that England are well prepared for Sunday's game because "France are a lot more well known to us than Lebanon were".

However, the 29-year-old added: "They showed last week against Australia they're no rollovers and when we played them before the Four Nations last year, it was really tight early on.

"We know it will be tough but we're confident that, if we do the right things, we will get the right result."

Sunday's teams:

England: G Widdop (St George Illawarra); S Ratchford (Warrington), M Percival (St Helens), J Bateman (Wigan), J McGillary (Huddersfield); K Brown (Warrington), L Gale (Castleford); C Hill (Warrington), J Roby (St Helens), J Graham (Canterbury Bulldogs), B Currie (Warrington), M McMeeken (Castleford), S O'Loughlin (Wigan).

Interchange: A Walmsley (St Helens), T Burgess (South Sydney), S Taylor (Hull), G Williams (Wigan).

France: M Kheirallah (Toulouse); F Yaha (Catalans), B Ader (Toulouse), B Jullien (Warrington), I Bergal (Leigh); T Fages (St Helens, capt), L Albert (Catalans); M Herold (Limoux), J Boudebza (London), A Maria (Catalans), B Garcia (Catalans), J Bousquet (Catalans), J Baitieri (Catalans).

Interchange: T Margalet (Catalans), R Navarrete (Wigan), M Rouch (Limoux), N Djalout (Catalans).

Referee: P Bentham (England).