Image credit: RLWC2026.COM
We are now two games into the 2026 Rugby League World Cup with Australia beating New Zealand 24-22 on opening night with this evening’s game ending in a Samoa drubbing of France.
Samoa’s surprising 78-4 win against France has raised eyebrows across the game with the French head coach Laurent Frayssinous claiming the NRL gap a big factor in the disappointing defeat.
Samoa scored an almighty 14 tries in the game against France which has caused shock in the French camp. This defeat has left an almost impossible task for France to qualify, with England and Tonga set to play tomorrow morning in Perth, with the final game in the combined Pool B+C taking place between Papua New Guinea and Lebanon.
Frayssinous has been the head coach for France since 2021, winning five and losing four in his tenure.
Frayssinous said: “The NRL keeps growing and keeps getting better every year,”
“Does that mean Super League isn’t? No. Super League is getting better every year, but not as fast as the NRL. The smartness, the skill the guys have under pressure, the touches, week in, week out, that’s something we need to improve in Super League, simple as that.”
France have England and Lebanon to play to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
