England finished top of Pool A at the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup after fighting back from 20-4 down to beat Ireland 68-32 in their final group match at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.

The defending champions made a dreadful start, with Ireland racing into a 14-0 lead through tries from Peter Johnston Jnr and Toby Burton-Carter, and the Wolfhounds stretched their advantage to 20-4 before England finally found their rhythm. A flurry of three tries turned the game around, and England went into half-time ahead 22-20 for the first time in the match.

Joe Coyd led the recovery with four tries, while Rob Hawkins added a hat-trick, captain Lewis King and Mason Billington scored two each, and Jack Brown also crossed. Nathan Collins kicked nine goals from 11 attempts, with Finlay O'Neill adding one more, as England piled on 46 points in a dominant second half.

Ireland, who had also won their first two pool matches, finished second in the group despite tries from Johnston Jnr, Burton-Carter, Oran Spain, Joseph Calcott and Jack Mangan. Both sides had already secured semi-final places before kick-off, but top spot was still up for grabs.

The result completed a perfect group stage for England, who had earlier beaten Wales 98-18 and the United States 134-0. They now face co-hosts Australia in the semi-final on Tuesday 10 November at 08:45 GMT, with France meeting Ireland in the other semi-final earlier the same day. England are aiming to retain the title they won in a dramatic final against France in 2022, and Rugby League confirmed the semi-final pairings after the pool stage ended.