Live Commentary: England 34-6 France - as it happened

England took on France at the DW Stadium on Saturday night with the chance to advance to the last four of the Rugby World Cup.

Steve McNamara's side went into the match as the favourites after winning in their last two group matches, while French had only beaten Papua New Guinea and scraped through the last round in third place.

However, England ran in six tries in a convincing win to set up a semi-final clash with New Zealand.

Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.

9.47pmWell that's it from me, Matt Cotton, I hope you enjoyed the game. Until the next time, it's goodnight.

9.46pmSo at the moment the semi-final draw looks like this: New Zealand vs. England Australia vs. Samoa/Fiji

9.45pmJosh Charnley and Ryan Hall both scored two tries each, while Sean O'Loughlin and Brett Ferres went over after the break. Vincent Duport's try gave France the lead in the fourth minute.

9.44pmThe match was effectively over at the break after England ran in four tries before half time. They added two in the second after France had taken a shock lead early in the match.

9.43pmThat's it. England are through to the semi-finals to face New Zealand next week, while France head home.

80 minFULL TIME: England 34-6 France

78 minSinfield couldn't have an easier kick, and adds the extra two points.

78 minCONVERSION! England 34-6 France (Kevin Sinfield)

78 minEngland are cleared of any obstruction and Ferres gets in on the act after being played in by Chase.

78 minTRY! England 32-6 France (Brett Ferres)

77 minIt looks as if Brett Ferres has just scored England's sixth try of the match, but it's being sent to the TMO.

76 minIt's been a much quieter second half in terms of points, but England did the damage in the first half.

74 minSIN BIN! Horrible shame for Sam Tomkins, who has just been named man of the match in his final game for now at the DW Stadium, is sent to the stands for a professional foul. He won't have enough time to come back on, and England will play the remaining minutes with 12 men.

73 minEngland fail to find a way through once more, before Cardace picks up the loose ball and darts downfield. He is eventually caught by Ferres.

72 minThey can make the most of it though, and England are revving themselves up to try to add one more score.

71 minFrance back on the attack, and some wonderful play from Pellissier has won them another six plays.

69 minRangi Chase is forced to leave the field and change his shirt after getting a lot of blood on his original jersey. He won't be able to get involved in this move.

68 minEngland can't believe they haven't scored here. They had the numbers in their favour and look to be heading over a number of times, but France can hold on.

67 minBurgess dives just inches from the try line, before getting tackled. His pass is so nearly intercepted by Fakir, but he knocks it on and we will have a scrum.

66 minTomkins spins away from his man just a matter of metres from the line and wins a penalty. He would love to score a final try at the DW Stadium.

64 minBarthau kicks the ball downfield after the fifth tackle which Charnley catches right on the touchline, and manages to keep his balance and tip-toe his way inside. Brilliant.

63 minEngland finally clear the ball downfield and look as if they are going to keep France in their own half, which is a big relief for the hosts.

62 minAs frustrating as it is for England that they cannot hold possession, they have defended ever so well when put under the kosh by France. They're just under 18 minutes away from booking a date with New Zealand in the semi-finals.

61 minNow Ryan Hall knocks it on, and France have another scrum. England just cannot get hold of the ball.

60 minThe match is very untidy at the moment, Chase, who is sporting a fantastic movember by the way, knocks the ball on and punches it to the ground in frustration. French ball.

58 minCredit to France, they are really giving it a go and threatening at the moment.

56 minHall thinks he is played in on the far left, but the pass was forward and he is pulled back. The game is rooted to the centre of the field at the moment.

55 minA bit of a kicking competition at the moment, as both sides being forced to boot it after the fifth tackle.

52 minFrance can't find a way through this resilient England defence. And we will now have a scrum 10 metres from the England line.

51 minFrance on the attack, albeit in scrappy fashion, by Raguin goes close on the wide right, but England are holding their own at the moment.

49 minSinfield, again adopting his awkward angle away from the ball, successfully converts.

48 minCONVERSION! England 28-6 France (Kevin Sinfield)

48 minIt's been given, and rightly so. Great stuff from England.

47 minTRY! England 26-6 France (Sean O'Loughlin)

47 minSinfield kicks the ball from the centre out to the right, Hall goes up for the catch and forces the France man to knock the ball back before Cudjoe offloads to the onrushing O'Loughlin.

47 minO'Loughlin goes over and looks as if he has scored England's fifth try, but the referee is sending this one to the TMO.

46 minChase sneaks his way around the French backline off the pass of Graham, but Elima snatches the ball from his grasp and wheels away. Brilliant play from the Frenchman.

45 minEngland are starting to hit back and Cudjoe powers through down the left. It takes four frantic Frenchman to bring down the England man.

43 minFrance, like in the first half, have made a decent start to this second half. Escare could have been in on the flank their but he couldn't reach the pass from Greenshields.

41 minKICKOFF! England, playing to the right, get the match back underway.

8.55pmThe teams are back out in Wigan.

8.46pmVincent Duport went over in the fourth minute to put France ahead, but Josh Charnley and Ryan Hall responded with two tries each to put England firmly in the driving seat.

8.44pmWell that was a thoroughly absorbing first half. After a surprisingly quick start from the French, England turned on the style and lead at the break.

40 minHALF TIME: England 22-6 France

38 minBurgess ploughs forward for England as they look to add one last try before half time. However, Tomkins and Watkins fail to get control of the ball and juggle away the chance. France scrum.

37 minBarthau tries a kick to the corner on the fourth tackle, but Charnley gets there first and wins the penalty after being tackled in the air.

35 minGreenshields now goes close, but England hang on at the last second. France had the advantage, but will now put the ball in at the scrum.

33 minFrance finally make their way back into the England half and they look as if they're going to score on two occasions. Raguin both times charging towards the line, but England pull off some impressive defending to prevent the try.

30 minEngland are starting to turn on the style now. They can only beat what is in front of them, and it is still early days. However, having seen Australia beat USA 62-0 and New Zealand overcome Scotland 40-4, England are doing their best to show that they mean business.

29 minHe missed his last one but he's back to scoring now. Sinfield adds the extra two points.

29 minCONVERSION! England 22-6 France (Kevin Sinfield)

28 minEngland are running riot now and it's a second for Hall. Graham makes a sensational carry down the middle before passing the ball along the line. Cudjoe makes a brilliant offload to Hall, who has time and space to dive over.

28 minTRY! England 20-6 France (Ryan Hall)

27 minSinfield misses the kick as he curls it wide across the face of the posts. It's two from three for him.

25 minIt's a second try for Charnley and a third for England as they take a commanding lead. Sinfield finds Watkins, who draws in a defender before flicking the ball to Charnley who catches and touches it down on the flank.

25 minTRY! England 16-6 France (Josh Charnley)

25 minEngland going close again with four tackles to go, Graham makes a brilliant carry.

24 minElima fails to hold on to a pass just short of the halfway line, and England have the ball at the scrum.

23 minSinfield pulls off two dummies before heading just short of the posts, but England have been penalised for obstruction for an earlier part of the move.

22 minEngland are hovering around the French try line, but are being held out for now. That is until England are given a penalty.

21 minWell after a shock start, we're just over the halfway point of this first half and England now lead 12-6.

20 minSinfield's kick is right on the chalk of the left touchline, but he curls it back in between the posts.

20 minCONVERSION! England 12-6 France (Kevin Sinfield)

18 minEngland are now ahead for the first time, as they wing it out to Hall on the flank after Chase makes a lot of ground forward. Tomkins picks up the ball and flies it to Hall, who gases it over the line for the try.

18 minTRY! England 10-6 France (Ryan Hall)

17 minChase finds some space on the left and darts inside following a dummy, Barthau makes a high challenge and more handbags break out. England have the decision.

16 minEngland have responded well since going behind early on. They have possession inside their own half at the moment as they try to break forward.

14 minTomkins is really in the mood tonight. He bursts through the France defence, holding off a couple of challenges, and makes great ground forward.

12 minIt's swerving outwards, but Sinfield's kick just stays straight enough to add the extras.

12 minCONVERSION! England 6-6 France (Kevin Sinfield)

11 minLovely play from England as they get back in it. A wonderful passing move falls to Tomkins on the right, who beats one man before brilliantly offloading to Charnley to go over.

11 minTRY! England 4-6 France (Josh Charnley)

10 minSo close for England there! Chase makes a great pass to Hill, who drives towards the posts, but France can just keep him out. A spate of handbags breaks out following that, but England have the ball at the scrum.

10 minEngland turn the ball over after some sloppy play from France, the hosts are in a great position.

9 minBetter play from Tomkins, who dinks a ball over the top at the fifth tackle and Ryan Hall brilliantly catches it just metres from the try line.

8 minFrance are on the attack once again, and England need to wake up.

7 minHow will England respond? They would not have been expecting that sort of start from the French.

6 minBosc steps up, and tamely strokes the ball from the left through the posts.

6 minCONVERSION! England 0-6 France (Thomas Bosc)

5 minThomas Bosc with the kick.

4 minThis is a shock! France lead! Raguin holds off a number of England bodies before making a brilliant offload just a few metres from the line to Duport, who goes over for the first try of the match. He hurt his arm in the process, but is back up after some treatment.

4 minTRY! England 0-4 France (Vincent Duport)

4 minEngland are being made to work hard here early on.

3 minFrance have started this match on the front foot, and Raguin bursts through a tackle down the middle. They've gone through the five phases and try a kick to the edge of the try line, but England intercept and have possession.

2 minBentley has already been taken off for France, with Pellissier coming on.

1 minKICKOFF! France, playing from left to right, get the match underway.

7.59pmAfter hearing those national anthems being sung, I wouldn't recommend any of the England lads to give up their day jobs any time soon.

7.58pmAnd now for England; 'God save our gracious Queen...'

7.57pmFrance, wearing their all-navy kit with white trim, get the national anthems underway.

7.56pmThe players are out, the fireworks are off, the crowd are going mad: England versus France is just moments away.

7.56pmEngland, wearing red tracksuit tops over their all-white home strip, have joined France in the tunnel. Captain Kevin Sinfield's face says it all; England are ready to go.

7.55pmFrance are beginning to leave the dressing room, with kick off just minutes away. They're first in the tunnel.

7.54pmThese two nations last went toe to toe in the Autumn internationals of 2012, where England battered the French 48-4. France have a real task on their hands today.

7.50pmSo they are the teams, and we're just 10 minutes away from this huge match.

7.49pmFRANCE REPLACEMENTS: Pellissier, Khattabi, Maria, Simon

7.49pmYounes Khattabi, who was also drafted into the squad, begins the match on the bench.

7.48pmRichard Agar welcomes back skipper Olivier Elima to the startling lineup and also includes recently called-up winger Damien Cardace.

7.47pmFRANCE XIII: Escare, Cardace, Baile, Duport, Greenshields, Bosc, Barthau, Fakir, Bentley, Casty, Elima, Raguin, Mounis

7.47pmRight, now for the French.

7.46pmOne interestingly story to bear in mind is that Sam Tomkins is likely to play his last match at the DW Stadium for quite some time. The Wigan man is off to play in New Zealand following the tournament, and a number of the club's supporters have turned up to the ground wearing their team's colours with Tomkins' name on the back of their shirts. Emotional night on the way for him, and how he will want to go out with a bang.

7.44pmENGLAND REPLACEMENTS: Roby, Ferres, Burgess, Farrell

7.43pmSo a shuffle of the pack in the forwards for England, let's take a look at their bench.

7.43pmJosh Charnley and Chris Hill both come into the team. Brett Ferres drops to the bench, while Rob Burrow misses out altogether, with James Roby taking his spot among the replacements.

7.42pmMcNamara has made two changes to the side that got the better of Fiji last time out in the group stages.

7.41pmENGLAND XIII: Tomkins, Charnley, Watkins, Cudjoe, Hall, Chase, Sinfield, Graham, McIlorum, Hill, Burgess, Westwood, O'Loughlin

7.40pmLet's bring you the team news.

7.39pmMeanwhile, France haven't had the greatest campaign so far. They've only edge past minnows Papua New Guinea so far, with defeats to Samoa and reigning champions New Zealand. They are the underdogs today, but will have a point to prove.

7.36pmEngland, as mentioned, as the big favourites for this and continue to grow stronger as the tournament goes on. They endured a disruptive start prior to the tournament, and were beaten by Australia in their opening match. However, England have since responded with wins over Ireland and Fiji and are starting to hit top form on home soil.

7.34pmSamoa and Fiji meet tomorrow in the last eight, but our attention is in the North West tonight where England are expected to beat France to advance.

7.33pmWe're in for a huge game tonight at the DW Stadium in Wigan, as a place in the semi-finals is up for grabs. Australia and New Zealand have already booked their places in the last four with wins over USA and Scotland respectively.

7.30pmGood evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Rugby League World Cup where England take on France in the quarter-finals.