Rugby League World Cup: England 46-6 PNG - Tommy Makinson scores five tries

Tommy Makinson made history with five tries as England blew away Papua New Guinea with a spell-binding first-half showing to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

A brutal and closely-fought game was expected against PNG, but it was actually a physically dominant England who took the game to the opposition.

Makinson became the first player to score five tries for England in one match.

That helped Shaun Wane's men progress to the last four on home soil - and they will face either Tonga or Samoa at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium next Saturday.

Watched by the Princess of Wales - the RFL's royal patron and matchday guest - England put on an imperial show by scoring seven tries in a scintillating opening 40 minutes.

The excellent Tom Burgess, the irresistible Dominic Young and George Williams touched down, while Makinson's opportunism brought him three scores before half-time.

England were proving to be unstoppable as Kallum Watkins darted in for a 38-0 lead at the break.

Makinson added two further tries in the second period and although Jimmy Ngutlik scored a consolation with 10 minutes remaining, PNG were already well beaten.

England will discover their semi-final opponents on Sunday, when Tonga take on Samoa in Warrington (kick-off 14:30 GMT).

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Magnificent England march on

After England had breezed through the group stage with a 100% record, this was billed as their biggest challenge of the tournament so far against a side offering a sizeable pack as well as creativity through Lachlan Lam.

But Wane's men brushed aside PNG and have now won all four meetings between the nations, including at the same stage of the competition five years ago.

The match was contested in front of a raucous 23,179 spectators in Wigan, an all-time record crowd for a World Cup quarter-final.

England were electric and made an aggressive start, into the faces of the PNG players, and the relentless hit-ups from Burgess laid the platform for a destruction.

Former England captain Jamie Peacock said Burgess' performance was "one of the best front-row performances I have seen".

The South Sydney Rabbitohs prop crashed over from Herbie Farnworth's barnstorming run, before Makinson latched on to Sam Tomkins' inch-perfect grubber kick into the corner.

The returning Watkins popped the ball off to Young to go in unchallenged for his ninth try of the tournament, while Makinson added a quick-fire second from Williams' chip over.

The Papuans had no answer to wave after wave of England attacks and Williams slid in to finish off a slick team move, with Watkins going over from a Young lay-off.

England were outwitting PNG and profited again as the quick-thinking captain Tomkins made a Captain's Challenge when Alex Johnston fumbled the ball and Makinson reacted by touching the ball down - although referee Liam Moore initially said no try, it was awarded on review.

PNG battled in the second half, and after St Helens winger Makinson ran in for his fourth of the contest, did get on to the scoreboard as Ngutlik touched down in the corner.

There was still time for Makinson to score a fifth try to finish with 30 points and complete an exceptional individual and team performance.