PLAYING some great attacking rugby and defending superbly, ENGLAND set the World Cup alight in the opening game with a 60-6 win against Samoa in Newcastle.
They scored ten tries, entertained a 43,000 crowd with fast, flowing rugby and were watched by millions on BBC television as Shaun Wane’s men galloped to glory on the big stage.
Skipper and full-back Sam Tomkins later urged the country to get behind his England team, who are looking good now to go far in this spectacular World Cup tournament.
Their ten tries against Samoa were scored by Jack Welsby, Dom Young (2), Kallum Watkins, Herbie Farnworth, Elliott Whitehead (2), Tommy Makinson, George Williams and Tom Burgess with Makinson landing ten goals — eight conversions and two penalties.
England lined up like this:
Tomkins; Young, Watkins, Farnworth, Makinson; Welsby, Williams; Burgess, McIlorum, Hill, Whitehead, McMeeken, Radley; Subs: Cooper, Knowles, Lees, Thompson.
All the backs looked particularly sharp with Welsby and Williams destroying Samoa at half-back and the three-quarters all proving deadly and dangerous wider out.
Wane went with four big forwards on the bench and used loose-forward Radley as a replacement for hooker McIlorum when he felt the need for a change.
England’s next group game is against France at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday, kick-off 5pm.
Images by Will Palmer/SWpix.com
