England 42 France 18: World Cup hosts make two wins from two as Dom Young continues to shine with an overwhelming victory

DOM YOUNG further cemented their world-class status as England recorded two out of two World Cup victories.

The Newcastle Knights winger stole the show with a 95-yard interception attempt with 14 minutes to go after landing earlier for a more routine result.

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Shaun Wane’s men now have 102 points as they top their group with a booked quarterfinal spot.

However, the coach could look back on a phase just before half-time in which France overplayed twice to make it 18:12.

And center Kallum Watkins was helped out after a lengthy layoff after going down awkwardly during a challenge.

Kai Pearce-Paul and Joe Batchelor are the only team members waiting for their bow after Wane brought in five of the seven who missed the 60-6 win over Samoa.

France were stripped of the services of their best winger, Catalan Fouad Yaha, with a hamstring injury, meaning center Matthieu Laguerre found new Star Young on the wing.

Back rower Ben Jullien was also pressured down the middle against Herbie Farnworth as the French sought their first win over England since 1981.

Within 13 minutes, the Frenchman’s right flank was being torn apart as Hall showed why he’s in the squad – George Williams also didn’t look like the frustrated figure he’d cut at Warrington all season.

The half-back played a role in both of the winger’s attempts but Luke Thompson’s effort was entirely due to the skill of Victor Radley, who charged past Ben Garcia and threw the prop brilliantly over.

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When England needed a reminder, Arthur Mourgue made sure he touched down after his kick was met by Marc Sneyd and Herbie Farnworth’s punch, which was punished by Eloi Pelissier’s attempt not to have fallen Wane one bit.

Suddenly the game was on.

Wane brought on Jack Welsby for skipper and full-back Sam Tomkins before John Bateman’s Weber run and pass – controversial as it may have looked – sent Elliott Whitehead past.

Radley matched Andy Ackers’ kick as the ship stabilized – only for Watkins’ punch, who found him dazed, soon to follow.

Tomkins was reinstated and Welsby moved into the middle as France applied more pressure until he and Bateman sent Young to his first.

And as he cleared just short of his own line, there was no stopping a seminal second, to which Marc Sneyd added his seventh.

France’s Arthur Romano had the last word in front of the most crowds for an England-France game in that country – 23,648 – and Mourgue started his third conversion before Tom Burgess was trapped.

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