England's Rugby League side beat France 56-8 on Friday night, scoring 10 tries in a superb second half performance that augurs well for the World Cup later in the year.
Performances of note included the three tries for Warrington center Martin Gleeson, whose place in the side had not been guaranteed, and Hull KR wing Peter Fox’s touchdown in his first ever match for England. Stand-off Leon Pryce, who was named man of the match, and loose forward Kevin Sinfield had good performances, while the home side could not counter the energy of front-row forwards Jamie Peacock and Adrian Morley.
The French 13, who were made up of nine players from Super League club Catalans Dragons, did well to keep the score to 16-8 at the break.
PHOTO: AP
EIt was France who went ahead when Toulouse scrum-half James Wynne put the home side ahead. Thomas Bosc, the free-scoring Catalans half-back, added the conversion to put the French 6-0 in front, but from then on it was pretty much all England.
England’s other try scorers, Gleeson apart, were Pryce, substitute Maurie Fa’asavalu, Fox, Keith Senior, Jon Wilkin, Danny McGuire, and Paul Wellens.
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