Rugby League World Cup: England v Samoa - team news, key stats and preview

England face Samoa at Emirates Stadium on Saturday for a place in the men's Rugby League World Cup final.

Shaun Wane's team scored 10 tries to beat Samoa 60-6 in the opening game of the tournament, but a much closer contest is expected this time.

The final will take place at Old Trafford on 19 November, with Australia or New Zealand awaiting the winners.

If they win, England will reach a second consecutive World Cup final. In 2017 they were beaten by Australia.

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Squad news

Coach Shaun Wane has made one change to England's 19-man squad for Saturday's World Cup semi-final against Samoa.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs front-rower Luke Thompson is recalled in place of former St Helens team-mate Matty Lees.

Thompson, 27, has not played since England's second group game against France last month.

Former Featherstone player Fa'amanu Brown has been called into Samoa's squad in place of ex-Huddersfield hooker Danny Levi, who started all four of Samoa's games so far.

The Wests Tigers hooker or half-back, 27, made 25 Championship appearances for Featherstone in 2021 and was 18th man for Samoa's quarter-final win over Tonga.

England squad: Sam Tomkins, Tommy Makinson, Kallum Watkins, Herbie Farnworth, Jack Welsby, George Williams, Tom Burgess, Micky McIlorum, Luke Thompson, Elliott Whitehead, John Bateman, Victor Radley, Dominic Young, Morgan Knowles, Mike Cooper, Chris Hill, Mike McMeeken, Marc Sneyd, Kai Pearce-Paul.

Samoa squad: Fa'amanu Brown, Stephen Crichton, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Royce Hunt, Oregon Kaufusi, Tim Lafai, Spencer Leniu, Jarome Luai, Taylan May, Anthony Milford, Josh Papali'i, Junior Paulo, Ligi Sao, Ken Sio, Jaydn Su'a, Joseph Suaalii, Martin Taupau, Brian To'o, Kelma Tuilagi.

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Key statistics

If prop Chris Hill plays, he will move to second on the all-time list of World Cup appearances with 16.

Hill, who turned 35 last week, broke John Atkinson, Roger Millward and George Nicholls' British record of 14 in the quarter-final against PNG to go level with former Australia international Bob Fulton on 15.

Former hooker Cameron Smith holds the record with 17 appearances across the 2008, 2013 and 2017 World Cups, captaining Australia to victory in the past two tournaments.

Head-to-head

• This will be the sixth time that two teams have met twice in a single tournament across the last six World Cups. In three of the previous five instances, the same team have won both fixtures.

• England have won all their four previous men's Tests against Samoa.

England

• England have won eight of their last nine World Cup games, including their last four on the bounce by an average margin of 52 points. The only time they have won more successive games at the tournament was an eight-game streak from September 1975 to October 1995.

• England have scored 61 points per game, the most of any team in the history of the World Cup and 26 points per game more than their previous best in 2000.

• England's George Williams (14 - 3 tries, 7 try assists, 4 try involvements) and Samoa's Jarome Luai (13 - 2 tries, 6 try assists, 5 try involvements) have been involved in more tries in this World Cup than any other players.

Samoa

• Samoa have become the seventh different team to qualify for the semi-finals of a men's Rugby League World Cup.

• Samoa have gained 555 metres from offloads at this World Cup, 199 metres more than any other team at the tournament.

• Brian To'o has run for 418 post-contact metres at this World Cup, more than 100 more than any other player in the competition and nearly 200 more than England's best, Tom Burgess (236m).

What they said

England second-row forward Mike McMeeken: "We're not that type of group that will be complacent and write a team off before we even step onto the field. Whoever is writing them off I don't think has watched them.

"[The opening game] was maybe four weeks ago, but it feels like seven, eight weeks ago. A lot has happened in a small amount of time, and as you see with the Samoan side they've got their bearings and have put some real good performances in.

"They're rightfully in the position that they are to play against us."

Former England captain Jamie Peacock, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's a great opportunity. They beat Samoa easily in the first round, they'll be a different kind of opposition for this one and they'll be highly motivated to beat England, but I think England should have enough to beat Samoa and get to the final.

"Samoa have had three or four games now, they know how to play. I always think that sportspeople, when they've been beaten by an opposition or been embarrassed, you're highly motivated to win that game the next time you get to play.

"For 25 minutes, Samoa showed what they can do but then England just pulled away, they had injuries and everything went for England. It will be a real challenge for this England side to get into the final."

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