Brad O'Neill has dismissed the suggestion that England were underprepared for their Rugby League World Cup campaign as they bid to start salvaging it with an unchanged team against France this Saturday.

England are under pressure - and in huge danger of missing out on a semi-final spot - after losing last Saturday's opening match 30-12 to Tonga, but head coach Brian McDermott has kept faith with the same 19-man squad.

McDermott's side have had a tight turnaround for the tournament - the Tonga match was just 14 days after the 2026 Super League Grand Final, with England flying out to Australia 10 days before the game.

They did not play a warm-up match - and so went into the game having not played a single international fixture since losing to Australia in Headingley in November last year.

Defeat by Tonga came in McDermott's first match in charge since being appointed in April, and O'Neill said they are "new team" and "those little things should come together".

But when asked by BBC Sport if England were tired and underprepared for Tonga, the 2026 Super League Man of Steel said: "Not at all, we had a great week of prep heading into the tournament.

"The whole team felt really good physically, it was just a good game and the better team won."

England men: AJ Brimson, Dom Young, Hugo Savala, Herbie Farnworth, Zach Eckersley, George Williams, Harry Smith, Max King, Brad O'Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Kai Pearce-Paul, Victor Radley.

Interchange: Jez Litten, Ben Currie, Ethan Havard, Sam Walters, Jack Welsby, Matty Ashton.

Reserves: Kallum Watkins, Mikey Lewis, Ben Talty.

McDermott had said he would "have a look" at team selection after Tonga, but has decided to stick with same XIII for this Saturday's match.

He also said England "were not strategically outdone" despite the heavy loss and only needed tweaks rather than a tactical overhaul.

"Only having a week together, those little things should come together and we should start executing with practice," said O'Neill.

"We're not changing anything we play, it is about the execution side of things. It is those combinations in training and bringing those to the match.

"There is a real belief in the team, we are a new team. We need time to work on combos, hopefully those will pay off."

AJ Brimson retains his place at full-back in the XIII with Jack Welsby among the interchanges for Saturday's Group B-C match in Perth (kick-off 07:35 BST).

Luke Thompson will continue at prop with Morgan Knowles still not fit to play after picking up an injury before the Tonga game.

And Mikey Lewis, who was a much-debated pick for the squad as one of the half-backs ahead of 2025 Super League Man Of Steel Jake Connor, remains out of the team.

Harry Smith will continue alongside England captain George Williams in the half-back roles, despite both being overpowered by Tonga last weekend.

That defeat, England's first ever against Tonga, has left McDermott's side with a tough task to reach the semi-finals.

Group B-C works as a combined pool of six teams, from which only the top two will reach the semi-finals. England, in Group B, are facing the three teams in Group C - Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea.

Qualification gets complicated if teams are level on points: Head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker - which would go against England if they finished level with Tonga. But points difference will be used if two teams in the group have not played each other - which would be the case if England and Samoa needed to be separated.

England must win their next two games, against France next Saturday and Papua New Guinea on 30 October, to stand a realistic chance of progression - and because of the World Cup's format, probably need to win them both by a big score.

Even then, there is the strong possibility that England will not know their fate for certain until two days after their final match, when Tonga face 2022 finalists Samoa in their last group game.

"We have discussed what is required, but we are taking it day by day," said O'Neill. "We are confident we can do it.

"We just focus on a game at the time and don't think much about format.

"Mentally we can't go in thinking about points, if we do our job well enough we will get the win."

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In contrast to McDermott, England women's coach Stuart Barrow has made a big selection change before their blockbuster meeting with co-hosts Australia on Saturday.

Jenna Foubister will start at half-back, replacing Georgia Roche, after a superb year in the Super League where she was named Woman of Steel.

The 19-year-old, who scored on her debut in a 62-0 win against Wales in August 2025, will partner Izzy Rowe in the halves.

Rowe scored two tries and kicked nine conversions for 26 points as England opened their World Cup campaign with a 70-6 win against Wales last Saturday.

She equalled the record for the most points by an individual England player in a Women's World Cup match.

There are two other changes to the XIII, as Molly Jones replaces Georgia Wilson in the centres while Liv Wood plays at prop ahead of Mary Coleman.

Lucie Sams is named among the interchanges as England take on reigning champions Australia in Perth with kick-off at 10.05 BST - immediately after the men's match.

It will be the first time England have played Australia since they suffered their record defeat - 90-4 - in Las Vegas in March 2025.

"It's definitely a challenge - we would be naive to go into it not thinking it would be really tough," said England wing Anna Davies.

"But we approach it having grown from the last time we faced them, it is exciting to see the changes we have made. I think we can control a game much better than last time.

"I love getting the chance to play them. It's a chance to have a go at the best in the world."

England women: Fran Goldthorpe, Anna Davies, Molly Jones, Connie Boyd, Amelia Brown, Izzy Rowe, Jenna Foubister, Liv Wood, Keara Bennett, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Jasmin Strange, Eva Hunter, Megan Williams.

Interchange: Jodie Cunningham, Vicky Whitfield, Georgia Roche, Lucie Sams.

Reserves: Mary Coleman, Georgia Wilson, Lucy Murray.

Wales - playing at their first Women's Rugby League World Cup - have made a number of changes for Friday's match against Samoa (07:45 BST).

Amberley Ruck replaces Ffion Lewis, with Zoe Heeley moving from centre to the wing.

Jade Mullen comes into the centres, while wing Sian Williams also gets a start.

Wales women: Leanne Burnell, Zoe Heeley, Jade Mullen, Hannah Bluck, Sian Williams, Amberley Ruck, Tayla Preston, Agnes Wood, Jasmine Gibbons, Emily Hughes, Georgia Cussons, Paige Travis, Bethan Dainton.

Interchange: Carys Marsh, Kathryn Salter, Erin Williams, Gracie Hobbs.

Reserves: Ffion Lewis, Lucia Davies, Frances Layton, Katie Carr.

Australia coach Kevin Walters has dropped Reece Walsh to the bench for their second group game against Fiji on Sunday (09:05 GMT), with James Tedesco coming in at full-back.

Tedesco will also captain the co-hosts, as Isaah Yeo - who has delayed surgery on a torn pectoral muscle to play at the World Cup - is rested.

Walsh, who had not played since 15 August amid injury troubles, started as Australia were pushed by New Zealand in a thrilling World Cup opening match last Thursday.

He scored a try but kicked just two of five conversions as the Aussies squeezed to a 24-22 win at Sydney Football Stadium.

Tedesco steps up as one of five changes made by Walters. Bradman Best, Sam Walker and Blayke Brailey all come in for their Test debuts.