Rugby League World Cup: England vs Samoa - don’t expect another demolition job

England crushed Samoa 60-6 in the opening match of the Men’s Rugby League World Cup last month but don’t expect a similar demolition job when the two nations come face-to-face on Saturday in the semi-final of the competition at the home of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The warning comes from the hosts head coach Shaun Wane, who says they will be locking horns with a ‘different kind of team’ a second time around.

Samoa came into the tournament lacking in-depth preparation, but have since built momentum with wins over Greece, France and neighbours Tonga and Wane knows they will be firing on all cylinders in the capital city.

The 56-year-old former Wigan Warriors boss said: “We will not be underestimating the threat Samoa pose.

“We know the team we’ll be playing will be different from our last meeting. They’re talented, they’ve got a lot of really good players from the NRL and we’ve got to be ready for the challenge ahead.

“Every single individual player has played better, they were massively underdone on their arrival in this country and if you remember I said this after the game against Samoa in Newcastle.”

Wane is also hoping the tie will attract a massive attendance at the Emirates Stadium and help boost the image of Rugby League in the south of the country and also further afield due to world-wide TV and media coverage.

The Wiganer concluded: “It will be the first sport staged at the Emirates other than soccer and I’m relishing the chance to showcase Rugby League to a new audience.

“I think Rugby League is the best sport in the world and there’s not many athletes who can do what we do week-in and week-out.

“I want as many eyes on our game as possible and taking this semi-final to London is a great boost to our sport. I’m really happy to take my team down there and hopefully perform the best we can.”

The winners will face either New Zealand or holders Australia in the Old Trafford Final on Saturday, November 19.