Before this World Cup began, England coach Shaun Wane pledged that all 24 players in his squad would get a chance to play.

With just his second game, against France, he took a huge step to fulfilling that pledge that pledge, naming five players who didn’t feature last week against Samoa, in his game-day 17 for the tie at the University of Bolton Stadium.

And that included John Bateman who had to serve a three-match ban, including last week and a pre-tournament England Knights fixture, before being eligible.

The tournament hosts were firm favourites going into the match, with having already beaten when most saw as the toughest opposition in the group last weekend. 

A win today would see England through to the quarter-finals, with next week’s tie against Greece only deciding which quarter.

France, on the other hand, started the game chasing second-place in the group and taking the other qualifying spot off Samoa. But that is likely to be decided when the two meet next Sunday.

Marc Sneyd kicked off for England, giving France the first use of the ball. 

But it was the hosts who had the best of the opening sets, turning the ball over in the French 10m while starting their own attacks in midfield.

With just five minutes gone, Ryan Hall opened the scoring for England, grounding the ball for his 36th try in 39 internationals and extending his status as England’s record try scorer.

France found no answer to England’s dominance in the first 10 minutes, and Hall scored again when he found himself on the end of a George Williams cut-out pass to Herby Farnworth, who moved it rapidly to Hall who ran into the corner. Send converted and England led 12-0.

After 25 minutes of total dominance, the forwards decided to get in on the act, with Mikolaj Oledski breaking, and and moving the ball to Victor Radley, who raced through two promos before passing to Luke Thompson, who planted the ball under the posts. Sneyd made no mistake converting from in front and England led 18-0.

But just minutes later, France were awarded a six-again and built attacking play-the-balls in the England half before Arthur Mourgue kicked into the England  in-goal and beat the England defence to ground his own kick.

Mourgue then turned kicker to convert his own try and the score was 18-6.

When England spilled the ball carrying the ball out of their own 10m,  Elois Pelissier powered over from dummy half to score under the posts, Mourgue converted again and at 18-12 the game was now a serious competition as half-time approached. 

Pelissier’s introduction from the subs bench had made all the difference.

England tried to tighten up and move back to the discipline they were showing in the first half, but the half ended with some scrappy play from both teams, without moving the scores on.

The second half opened with Jack Welsby replacing England captain Sam Tompkins at full-back.  Bateman set off on a lateral run challenging the French defensive line before feeding Elliott Whitehead on a powerful straight run to move the score to 22-12, Sney’ds conversion made that 24-12.

Radley was next to score on 50 minutes, dotting down the ball from an Andy Ackers kick and giving Sneyd an easy conversion. England now led 30-12.

Bad news followed minutes later when Kalum Watkins left the field after a clash of heads, and now likely to miss next weeks encounter with Greece.

Welsby moved into the centres to replace Watkins, with  Tomkins returning to full back.

On 56 minutes the stand-in centre was key to England’s next score, breaking down the right and drawing in the French defence before passing to Dom Young, who scored his first try of the match. Sneyd kicked his sixth conversion from out wide and England led 36-12 with three-quarters of the game played.

Young needed no assist for the next score. With France pressing the English line, Pelissier tried an overhead cut-out pass to put his winger in the corner.

But the stand-out player of the tournament so far plucked the ball out of the air instead and set off on a lightening 90m run to score a superb intercept try. Sneyd slotted his seventh conversion and the score stood at 42-12.

But when Young tried an impossible offload taking the ball out of the England half, France made the most of the gifted possession, Pelissier ran across a grasping defence before passing out to Arthur Romano in the clear on the wing.

Romano duly scored, Mourgue converted and the score was now 48-18. Samisoni Langi looked to have pushed the score into more respectable territory when heron onto a kick but couldn't keep contact as he tried to tried to ground it.

The score stayed at 42-18 and England had almost certainly qualified for the quarter finals as group leaders - although the formality of next weekend's Greece match to come - at the end of an exciting but at times scrappy game.

England: Tomkins; Young (2T), Watkins, Farnsworth, Hall (2T); Sneyd (7G), Williams; Burgess (Y 58), McIlloram, Hill, Whitehead (T), Bateman, Radley. Subs: Welsby, Oledksi, Thompson (T), Ackers.

France: Escare; LaGuerre, Langi, Julien, Romano (T); Gigot, Mourgue (T, 2G), Desaria, Da Costa, Belmas, Goudemand, Seguier, Garcia. Subs: Pelissier (T), Sangare, Springer, Le Cam.

Full Time: 42-18.

Half Time: 18-12.

Score progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0 ,12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 18-4, 18-6, 18-10, 18-12. HT.  22-12, 24-12, 28-12, 30-12, 34-12, 36-12, 40-12, 42-12, 42-16, 42-18. FT.

Lead Exchange: England.

Referee:  Gerard Sutton.

Venue: Bolton.

Attendance: 23,648.