GARRY SCHOFIELD reflects on England’s exit from the World Cup.

WELL there won’t be any fanfare when England return from the World Cup – it will be more a case of sneaking in a side door.

We might have won two out of three Down Under, but we knew before we played Tonga in first game that it would in all probability need to be three victories out of three.

England fell short in the one that held the key, and having duly demolished a weak France team, Brian McDermott’s side made a meal of beating Papua New Guinea.

We didn’t get close to racking up the kind of points tally that would have put a bit of pressure on Samoa ahead of their clash with Tonga.

England were decent for the first 22 minutes or so, scoring those four tries, but then we lost direction, and in the second half, which we started 24-0 up, PNG ‘beat’ us 12-10.

Failure to reach the last four of a World Cup for the first time is another sign that we’re hurtling towards being a tier-two team.

You can blame the travel arrangements, which certainly didn’t help, you can blame the lack of adequate of adequate preparation, both in terms of the absence of even one warm-up game and too few training sessions, and you can blame the bizarre tournament format, with one group of four and another of six.

Kevin Brown, who I admired as a player and I like as a person, made a number of such points on Premier Sports, but for me, he was nitpicking.

Too many pundits fail to mention the main problem, the one which I have been highlighting constantly, that most of our players just aren’t good enough to compete against the best from the southern hemisphere.

And that’s because our game doesn’t have the quality and 0week-to-week intensity of the NRL, so in the big moments which affect big matches, we lack the skill and decision making needed.

Until we address that, there’e little chance of us getting better.

South Pacific magic

WHAT an absolute treat that Tonga versus Samoa clash was – exactly what top-level Rugby League – and all sport, come to that – should be all about.

In terms of build-up, atmosphere, tension, drama and action, it was all there, and in abundance.

The game was a bit of a dead rubber, because barring a massive Tonga win, which was never really likely, both sides knew they were heading to the semi-finals.

You wouldn’t have known it, however, because it was a brilliant occasion in Sydney, as fuelled by pride and passion, the pair served up a sensational spectacle, and one that was thoroughly enjoyable.

Tonga edged it to make it three wins from three so far and now go to Newcastle to tackle New Zealand; and how good were the Kiwis in taking Fiji apart?

Meanwhile Samoa face Australia in Sydney, and I can’t wait for that repeat of the 2022 final.

We have two great games in store, but I wonder if Tonga and Samoa have peaked and will find it a little too much to go again and produced what would be needed to make the final?

I’m tipping both matches to finish 36-12 and Australia and New Zealand to face off in the final, having met in that excellent tournament opener.

The decline of French Rugby League

FEBRUARY 17, 1984, was a cold and gloomy Friday night, at least in Leeds.

I remember it clearly because it was my Great Britain debut, the second of a two-match Test series against France at Headingley.

It was a huge occasion for me, obviously, but it was a tough watch for the fans – a bit of a bore-fest, to be honest.

We won 10-0 with five penalty-goals by David Hobbs, the Featherstone Rovers second rower.

That he got so many opportunities to kick showed the aggressive and competitive approach Les Tricolores took, and it was the same in most of the other matches against them in which I was involved.

We won the bulk of them, but it was rarely a romp, and when you came off the pitch, you certainly knew you’d been in a game.

Not only were France tough and direct, but they could also be skilful when they wanted to be, and it was clear there was huge pride and passion in pulling on that shirt.

I’m sure any of the players I faced who watched that performance against England nine days ago, when Laurent Frayssinous’ side were drubbed 82-0, having earlier been seen off 78-4 by Samoa, were disgusted with what they saw. The air will have been as blue as the jerseys.

I said in last week’s column that France were pathetic, and having had time to let the dust settle and think about things further, I haven’t changed that view one bit.

I’ve talked about England becoming a tier-two nation, and I’d have to rank France as tier three.

I’m no expert on the domestic game over there, but from reading the round-ups in League Express, it seems clubs have the same approach as Catalans Dragons (who after reaching the Grand Finals of 2021 and 2023 have regressed), Toulouse Olympique and so many of our own Super League sides – bringing in too many journeymen players from the southern hemisphere.

The situation in Super League has been made worse by the decision to increase the number of quota players allowed from seven to ten. It should have been cut by three, not increased by that number.

That would put the onus on developing and blooding home-produced players rather than limiting their opportunities. But the way things are means the knock-on effect on the national team is obvious.

The lack of French talent also presents an issue for England when it comes to fixing up meaningful mid-season matches to provide a chance to gel and for the coach to try out tactics and gauge the players who are in for and those who aren’t.

These days, one-sided games against France are of no benefit, whether it be to coaches, players or admission-paying fans.

And given the strength of rugby union and football over there, it’s hard to see a Rugby League resurgence any time soon.

Trinity and the Roosters

TURN back the clock to the 2000 World Cup, when France reached the quarter-finals, beating Tonga on the way, and you couldn’t have imagined Samoa putting anything like 78 points on them.

Nor could you have foreseen Wakefield Trinity, who only just avoided relegation, win the Super League title.

But things change, and while France have fallen, Wakefield have risen – and how! – and now have the prospect of playing Sydney Roosters in the World Club Challenge.

There’s talk of it being at Elland Road, and I think that would be a good choice and one which shows great ambition.

The Roosters will have a new-look side next year, and it’s a great opportunity for English fans in general, not just those of Wakefield, to see some of the best players in the world.

If it is Elland Road, let’s get the place filled and rocking!