DOM YOUNG further cemented his world-class status as England made it two World Cup wins from two.
The Newcastle Knights winger stole the show with a 95-metre intercept effort with 14 minutes left after earlier touching down for a more routine score.
Shaun Wane’s men have now scored 102 points as they sit top of their group with a quarter-final place booked.
However, the boss may be looking at a spell just before half-time in which France went over twice to make the scores 18-12.
And centre Kallum Watkins was helped off following a lengthy stoppage after going down awkwardly in a challenge.
Kai Pearce-Paul and Joe Batchelor are the only squad members waiting for their bow after Wane brought in five of the seven who missed the 60-6 thrashing of Samoa.
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France were robbed of the services of their best winger, Catalans’ Fouad Yaha, because of a hamstring injury, meaning centre Matthieu Laguerre faced new star Young on the wing.
Back-rower Ben Jullien was also pressed into action against Herbie Farnworth in the centre as the French went for their first win over England since 1981.
Inside 13 minutes, the French’s right side was torn apart as Hall showed why he is in the squad – George Williams also looked nothing like the frustrated figure he cut at Warrington all season.
The half-back had a role in both the winger’s tries but Luke Thompson’s effort was purely down to the skill of Victor Radley, who burst past Ben Garcia and brilliantly sent the prop scurrying over.
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If England needed a reminder, Arthur Mourgue provided it by touching down after his kick flicked off Marc Sneyd and Herbie Farnworth’s knock-on, which was punished by Eloi Pelissier’s try, would not have pleased Wane one little bit.
Suddenly it was game on.
Wane brought on Jack Welsby for skipper and full-back Sam Tomkins before John Bateman’s weaving run and pass – debatable as it may have looked – sent Elliott Whitehead over.
Radley touched down Andy Ackers’ kick as the ship was steadied – only for Watkins’ blow that saw him helped off groggily to soon follow.
That saw Tomkins re-introduced and Welsby moved to centre as France enjoyed more pressure until he and Bateman sent Young in for his first.
And once he broke clear close to his own line, there was no stopping him from a scene-stealing second, to which Marc Sneyd added his seventh goal.
France’s Arthur Romano had the last word in front of the highest crowd for an England v France match in this country – 23,648 – with Mourgue booting his third conversion before Tom Burgess was sin-binned.
