Rugby League World Cup: England get tournament under way with thumping 72-4 win over Brazil
- Published
England dominate Brazil in World Cup opener
Rugby League World Cup 2021 |
|---|
England (34) 72 |
Tries: Beevers, Stanley (2), Winfield-Hill (3), Field, Hardcastle (3), Goldthorp, Jones, Burke, Wood Goals: Stanley (7) |
Brazil (0) 4 |
Try: Momberg |
England got their Rugby League World Cup campaign under way with a thumping 72-4 win over Brazil in a carnival atmosphere at Headingley.
Caitlin Beevers' early try set the tone for the hosts against the World Cup debutants, who were competing in only their third ever international match.
Both Courtney Winfield-Hill and record try scorer Amy Hardcastle went over for a hat-trick of tries as England recorded their second biggest international win in front of a record attendance of 8,621.
Woman of Steel Tara Jane Stanley, who surprisingly did not start in her favoured full-back berth, scored two of England's 14 tries, with Grace Field, Francesca Goldthorp, Tara Jones, Leah Burke and Olivia Wood also going over for Craig Richards' side.
But through the buzz of a six-piece samba band in full swing in the South Stand and a vocal and youthful crowd roaring England on at every opportunity, a huge cheer was reserved for the Amazonas as they marked their World Cup bow with a deserved try from Natalia Momberg.
The hosts were dominant throughout and their physicality and ability to punch holes in Brazil's defensive line was evident as they raced into a 34-0 half-time advantage.
It was hardly a flawless performance with the wet weather contributing to some unforced handling errors. But it never threatened to dampen the electric atmosphere, with the pre-match pyrotechnics providing a perfect appetiser for what was to follow.
The match was followed by a meeting between the other sides in Pool A, Papua New Guinea and Canada.
Papua New Guinea won 34-12 to sit second in the pool behind England.
Papua New Guinea beat Canada for first World Cup win
Winfield-Hill and Hardcastle steal the show
The Amazonas arrived in Leeds as somewhat on an unknown quantity, having lost narrowly to France in their only warm-up match on Thursday. Their last international fixture before that was a 48-0 win over Argentina in 2018.
But this proved a step up in class for Paul Grundy's side, with Barbara Leal's early indicator of what was to follow.
It saw England collect possession deep in Brazilian territory and when they worked the ball right, Beevers found space on the right edge to squeeze over for an opening try after just 94 seconds.
England's Beevers scores the first try of the World Cup
England's physicality and ability to punch holes was also immediately evident, though the hosts were aided by Brazil's restarts rarely reaching the 10-metre line to hand their opponents a territorial advantage.
However, there were also moments of star quality with Australia-born Winfield-Hill evading several markers as she jinked in to score her first try of the encounter.
Hardcastle, the only English player named in the NRL Team of the Decade, provided a superb foil to Leeds Rhinos player, with her power and pace seeing her add to her tally and status as the national team's most prolific try scorer.
England face Canada next at Wigan's DW Stadium on 5 November before their final group-stage match back in Leeds against Papua New Guinea on Wednesday, 9 November.
From old pick-ups to the fastest car on the planet: Top Gear is back with brand-new tests!
A family of loveable rogues in the Welsh valleys! The Tuckers returns for a third series, available now on BBC iPlayer
