How England’s “death route” to the World Cup left players “buggered” before Tonga loss — Daily

England coach Brian McDermott addressed his squad's grueling 46-hour travel itinerary following their 30-12 defeat to Tonga in their opening World Cup match. Instead of flying directly to Perth, the team flew from London to Singapore, then Sydney, before flying back across Australia to Perth. Despite acknowledging the travel route was exhausting, McDermott refused to use the schedule as an excuse for the loss.

The defeat leaves England's World Cup knockout hopes in jeopardy due to the tournament's qualification structure. England struggled with ball security during the match, completing just 67 percent of their sets. The game marked McDermott's first match in charge of the national team since taking over the head coaching role in April.