Electrifying Dom Young sparks England to half-century in rout of Fiji

Isn’t it nice to be able to focus on the rugby, even if just for one night? In a week when the attention leading up to the Rugby League World Cup has been transfixed on ill-judged, offensive comments made about players and nations, England did an impressive job here of moving the attention back towards what happens on the field before the tournament starts next weekend.

This was not the Fiji side who have made the semi-finals in each of the last three World Cups. Some of their best players, such as Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau, are on their way to England after featuring in last weekend’s NRL Grand Final. But it was not Shaun Wane’s strongest side either, and the England head coach certainly has plenty of food for thought between now and next Saturday’s opener against Samoa in Newcastle.

Take, for example, the magnificent England debut from the winger Dom Young. The Wakefield-born 21-year-old was the subject of disappointing comments from the broadcaster Eddie Hemmings, who said that Young – who also qualifies for Jamaica through family heritage – “wasn’t English in the strict sense of the word”. That, coupled with the RFL chief executive, Ralph Rimmer, being told he would not face disciplinary action for disparaging remarks made about Fiji all left a sour taste.

But thankfully, Young and England let their rugby do the talking here. Young marked his first England appearance with a try and a series of eye-catching assists and he was not the only one, either. Salford’s Marc Sneyd and Andy Ackers also enjoyed accomplished debuts, giving Wane plenty of selection headaches to ponder in the coming days ahead of next week’s eagerly anticipated showdown with the Samoans, which will effectively decide who wins Group A.

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