SAM WALTERS admits that making his England debut was a proud moment but he had an overwhelming feeling of disappointment after being on the wrong side of a 30-12 defeat to Tonga on Saturday.
That defeat leaves Brian McDermott’s men relying on other results throughout the group stages, with their World Cup semi-final hopes hanging in the balance.
Walters is among a number of debutants in the current squad, with the occasion still proving special for the Wigan Warriors second-rower despite not getting the desired outcome.
Reflecting on his first international outing, he said: “I really enjoyed it – it was a different type of test, coming up against a big pack.
“I enjoyed the stuff at the start of the game, singing the national anthem – I’m just proud to be pulling that jersey on. It means a lot to my family back home, so I’m just proud to be representing them as well.
“I pinched myself when I was handed the shirt. It’s a full circle moment, my first ever game for Widnes scholarship had the number 17, so to get number 17 for my country was special
“Obviously we’re disappointed not to come away with a win. I thought we were really good for large periods of the game, but there were certain moments and they had quality behind them – they managed the game well when they went ahead.
“We’ve just got to put our best foot forward now and make sure we respond with a positive week of training to go into the next week firing.
“I think we got our game plan right, but lacked composure in the final third – that’s down to new combinations that we’re still working on. Hopefully we can put it right against France.
“The connection of our group is still really strong and we know we’re a good side.”
