GARRY SCHOFIELD reflects on England’s overwhelming World Cup victory against France.
WELL, England did what they had to do against France and they even exceeded my expectations.
I predicted in last week’s column that England would win 64-10. So I’ll give myself a pat on the back.
But before I praise the England performance, I’ve got to say that those players who played for France should never be allowed to put another French shirt on again, because they were absolutely disgraceful.
They were pathetic, and they should be sent home from Australia for cowardice. If you’re talking about Test football at the highest level, if you’re talking about representing your country, you’re talking about pride and passion, and we all know about the philosophies of representing your country.
Well, the French players should hold their head in shame for the rest of their careers. They should never represent France again.
But that’s enough of their performance.
As far as England are concerned, I send my congratulations. It’s a truism that you can only do what the opposition let you but some of the England players really shone. You looked at AJ Brimson and he looked like a Kalyn Ponga or a Reece Walsh bursting through the defence.
He looked like he was playing with the freedom of being back at school. And it was the same with George Williams, Herbie Farnworth and all the major players. Mikey Lewis, for example, looks to be something like his best again.
It just looked like what it was, men against boys.
England knew they had a goal, to score as many points as possible, and they scored 82. The next goal is to get as many points as possible against PNG, and hope that Tonga can beat Samoa on Sunday.
It will be a happy England squad going to Wollongong, but it won’t be as easy against Papua New Guinea, because the Kumuls have plenty of pride in that jersey. They will want to make sure that they don’t get hammered. They were embarrassed against Samoa, especially in the second half, so they’ll want to bounce back from that defeat.
England would like to win by at least 68 points and I’m not so sure they’ll do it, because I think the Papuans will have a lot more pride than what the French showed against us. So it all depends on the Kumuls’ attitude, whereas England’s attitude will be to score 70 points.
England have strike power all over the place and I think the first 40 minutes will be crucial. The Papuans will make it very awkward for England. If England can get around 26 points in the first half, then there’s a chance, but it is going to be very, very tough for England to get the 68 points.
South Pacific nations on the march
AUSTRALIA’S win over Fiji was a much closer contest than everybody probably imagined.
But you look at the way some teams have improved. You look at the way the Tongans have improved, and you look at Papua New Guinea, who will be the same in the next ten years.
Fiji have improved because all their players are playing in the NRL. And you look at England’s best players and they are the ones playing in the NRL. And so are the Samoans, Tongans and Fijians, they are all competing at that level.
Then you look at New Zealand and in my opinion they are the best team. They walloped Australia in the opening match of the World Cup, but they were just beaten on the scoreboard.
And the South Pacific teams are now in a position where they can beat England because they have more players who play in the NRL, whereas we have only seven players in our national team who are playing in the NRL.
Because they are playing against the best players every week, this is the quality they are bringing to their national teams.
And I’m prepared to predict right now that, after this World Cup, in four years’ time, Australia won’t be the world champions. I’ll bet your bottom dollar it will be New Zealand, Samoa or Tonga.
That might even happen this year, because Samoa, Tonga, and definitely New Zealand are not worried about Australia any more, as was proven in the Aussies’ game against Fiji.
Their attitude is quite simple. They are not worried now about big names or reputations.
Australia have always had an arrogance in their approach to the game. They still have it and will always have it at international level.
But there’s a massive turnaround now in Rugby League and it’s starting this year at the World Cup and everybody can see that. New Zealand were better than the Aussies and Fiji weren’t far off.
If Australia do win it this year, I can assure you they won’t win it in four years’ time.
But as for England, we are certainly behind New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga and we are probably at the same level as Fiji now. So we have to realise that our players cannot compete and we won’t compete at international level until more of our players are experiencing that level of intensity every week.
Channel 7 hitting the high spots
AS for the presentation of the World Cup, I think Australia’s Channel 7 has been brilliant. The way they have presented the competition has been excellent and crowds have been sensational, even having a sell-out in Christchurch in New Zealand.
Channel 7 went out and got the right commentators and pundits who knew how to present and talk about the game, and they are reaping the rewards with big ratings in Australia.
And it’s great to see Chris Kendall and Liam Moore refereeing at the World Cup, and refereeing very well. My question to Chris and Liam is, why don’t you referee like that when you referee the games in Super League?
Is it because you’re learning from your fellow NRL referees how not to be noticed, and you don’t want to be heard?
As a referee, if you’re not seen and you’re not heard, you’re doing a great job, and that’s exactly what people want.
When I’ve seen you in this World Cup you’ve been great. When you come back, bring that approach back to Super League and tell all the other referees. We will then all give you the respect that you fully deserve.
