Tonga's victory on Saturday night was built on a strong defensive performance and tries from Stefano Utoikamanu, Haumole Olakau'atu (two) and Tolutau Koula. England fought back through AJ Brimson and a late consolation try from Dominic Young, but could not close the gap.
Coach Kristian Woolf praised his team's depth and composure. "What I liked the most was the way we defended; we put ourselves under pressure a couple of times, but our defence was outstanding," he said. "We've got depth and quality, and we can go and do something with it now."
England coach Brian McDermott acknowledged the quality of the opposition. "They're a big team, strong team, and they've got some tremendous players in there. And I thought we stuck toe-to-toe with them for nearly all the game," he said.
The result leaves England, which has never failed to reach the World Cup semifinals, needing to beat France on October 24 and Papua New Guinea on October 30 while relying on other results to advance.