The waiting – like the talking, thankfully – is almost over. The buildup to the Rugby League World Cup has been dominated by negative headlines, ill-judged comments and endless controversies. But now, with a week to go until England kick off the men’s tournament against Samoa in Newcastle, it feels as if we can finally focus on the rugby at long last.
World Cup warm-ups do not necessarily act as a precursor for what will follow in the tournament. England slipped up on this very ground against Italy nine years ago, before going on to make the semi-finals. But on a wet, miserable night in Salford, this was a performance which will offer great encouragement for a showdown against a Samoa team that are being tipped to cause an upset in a game which will in effect decide who wins Group A.
