John Bateman’s final dream fulfilled as England prepare for Australia challenge

• Hooker says team will have to be ‘bang on form’ to have any chance
• England women’s campaign ends in crushing defeat by New Zealand

England face a monumental task on Saturday to dethrone the world champions, Australia, and win the World Cup for the first time since 1972 but the great achievement of reaching a first final in 22 years is not lost on the squad following the heart-stopping semi-final victory against Tonga.

England’s plans for the final, however, have suffered a blow with the news that the hooker Josh Hodgson will miss the game in Brisbane because of a knee injury. Hodgson was withdrawn midway through the Tonga match and may require surgery. There are also doubts over the captain, Sean O’Loughlin, who has a quad problem.

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from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2k1LHig