England will relish their underdog tag when they take on a powerful Tonga side in their World Cup opener in Perth on Saturday, captain George Williams says.

They defeated the Pacific Islanders 3-0 in a hard-fought Test series at home three years ago – having previously edged to victory in a dramatic World Cup semi-final in Auckland in 2017.

But England – who have already suffered a blow with the withdrawal of Morgan Smithies through injury – have been forced into a late change to their starting line-up, with Luke Thompson replacing the absent Morgan Knowles.

And with humidity expected to be above 60% inside HBF Park, Williams expects the toughest of starts against a Tonga side who have evolved since 2023 and are packed with NRL talent.

“Tonga are a stacked team. They have been for a few years now,” Williams said.

“We’ll be underdogs but we’ll quite like that kind of brush on our head and we’ll bring our game tomorrow night against a great team.

“I think it’s always different over here as well, with the heat and different conditions. It helps when you drag them to Leeds and it’s minus two or whatever it normally is in November.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge. They are stacked full of world-class players who play across the NRL, so we know what we are in for, but we are fully prepared and ready.”



–