England beat third favourites for the tournament Samoa in a blockbuster opening game at the Rugby League World Cup.
The afternoon didn’t start according to plan with the PA system going down halting the opening ceremony. Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson kept the crowd entertained till the players entered the field.
Once the hooter sounded it was a perfect performance from start to finish for the host nation infront of a bumper 43,000 crowd.
The first action of the game came in the 5th minute England possible try. George Williams kick Herbie Farnworth couldn’t touch down. No try.
Tommy Makinson added the two points from the penalty to make it 2-0.
The host nation dominated the big Samoan pack early on and went close again but the video ref judged a knock-on in the build-up.
Samoa threatened the English line for the first time and lost their captain’s challenge early in the 15th minute. They lost the right to question the referee for the next 65 minutes of the game.
England cross for the first try of the tournament, Jack Welsby finished off a superb team try going through multiple hands to make it 8-0.
St James’ Park found their feet again, Jack Welsby confuses the Samoa defence with a dummy giving Dom Young the ball 40 metres out. The Huddersfield born winger goes around the Samoa full-back with ease to score for 14-0.
The Wakefield school boy was over again in the next set. Young acrobatically scores sending Newcastle into raptures for 18-0.
Izack Tago picked off Jack Welsby’s pass to score Samoa’s first try for 18-6.
Despite the try late on the first half was dominated by the hosts who turned on the X-factor after a farcical opening ceremony. England took a healthy 18-6 lead into the break.
England were tested early in the second half but contained Samoa’s dangerous outside-backs. Samoan superstar full-back Joseph Suaalii threatened the line again but couldn’t keep a grasp of the ball for the second time in the game.
England scored the first points of the second stanza, George Williams keeping the ball alive to put Kallum Watkins away in the corner to make the score 24-6.
Tempers flared on the hour mark despite the miss match in size between Tomkins and Papalii. The discipline levels began to drop with Anthony Milford being sent to the sin bin for a late hit on the England skipper Tomkins. Makinson added the extras from the following penalty for 26-6.
The next set the extra man proved pivotal with Herbie Farnworth strolling over for his first international try.
Samoa began to chase the game resulting in more errors. A short kick-off gifts England easy ball 10 metres out. Elliot Whitehead crashes over near the line. Makinson adds the extras for 38-6.
The extravagant passes started coming out of the locker from the Englishmen,allowing Makinson to bump off Tabuai-Fidow to put Whitehead over for the second time in as many minutes to make it 44-6.
After a video referee intervention Tommy Makinson scored off the back of a clever George Williams grubber kick. He adds the extras taking his individual points tally to 22 and England to 50.
George Williams takes his own kick to score the ninth try of the afternoon for 54-6 at full time.