England To Face Tonga

Chris Aston and Ryan Atkins got the game underway with two early tries for England, but Samoa touched down twice as well to cut the gap to 16-8 at the half-time interval.

But England took full control of the game in the second half, with Atkins completing his hat-trick, Ashton grabbing his second, and Jamie Rooney and David Hodgson also getting in on the act.

The Samoans had just enough in them to grab a third and final try, but that was scant consolation.

England’s opponents in next week’s final are Tonga, who left France on the wrong end of a 48-10 hammering over the channel.