England, 23-6 ahead eight minutes before half-time, saw that advantage slashed to 26-22 entering the final quarter of a gripping contest at Stade de la Beaujoire.

They now face a Pool A eliminator against Tonga in Paris next Friday night, with the winners probably facing quarter-final opponents Australia eight days later.

But given the Tongans display against South Africa earlier today, there is no guarantee England will pass that particular examination.

Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, making his first start of the tournament after recovering from an ankle injury, kicked 24 points, while skipper Martin Corry and wing Paul Sackey each collected try doubles.

But the world champions struggled to see off wonderfully-committed opponents, whose full-back Loki Crichton kept them in contention by booting five penalties and a conversion.

Samoas 47th-minute try, scored by scrum-half Junior Polu after he pipped England centre Mathew Tait to the ball, set alarm balls ringing in the red rose camp.

England should have been out of sight, but nerves riddled their second-half performance as the demons that had haunted them in previous pool games against America and South Africa returned.

It was a totally unconvincing third quarter from them and, although head coach Brian Ashton will feel a sense of massive relief at the result, his team are still off the World Cup pace.

To their credit, England finished strongly as Wilkinson offered breathing space through a drop-goal and long-range penalty before Corry and Sackey finished Samoa off with tries in the last four minutes.

Wilkinson steered England through some difficult passages of the game, and there were outstanding performances up-front from lock Simon Shaw and flanker Joe Worsley.

Given that Australia are likely to loom in the last eight, they need to find at least another two gears to challenge the Wallabies.

Australia do not have a great deal to fear on todays evidence, yet if England can continue to improve, it could be a closer contest than most people are predicting.

But it is a case of first things first, and victory over Tonga would see them avoid the ignominy of becoming rugby unions first reigning world champions not to progress beyond the pool stage.