World Cup Rugby: Brown double helps stuttering England to opening win

England are heavy favourites to beat Fiji in Friday’s opening game of the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham, so simply putting money on the hosts to win may not be the best betting option. We got a good lead but didn’t put the nail in the coffin. “We played into their hands at times”.

Four years after being left shattered by a brutal World Cup campaign in New Zealand, Quade Cooper insists he is primed to eradicate those mental demons.

He gave a speech ahead of the match in his role as honorary president of England Rugby 2015.

Brown, who was out for three months after suffering concussion during the Six Nations, said: “It’s an emotional time for me to score in my first World Cup“.

On her first night out since the birth of her baby, the Duchess, née Kate Middleton, was in high spirits at the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup.

Controverisally, the try had been awarded by referee Jaco Peyper who only ruled it out after the replay appeared on the large screen and he then referred it to the TMO. There was no way Fiji was going to come back from that.

A 12th-minute driving maul splintered the Fijian defence, forcing them to drag it down and concede a penalty try.

Giant wing Nemani Nadolo scored Fiji’s try and coach John McKee said: “Every time he gets the ball something happens and he scored a great try”.

But he was terrorising England soon after…

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“It was our errors, some critical penalties, some critical turnovers allowed England to come back into the game”.

England must tighten up their handling.

The former NRL star earned a standing ovation from the capacity 80,000-strong Twickenham crowd when he jogged on with 20 minutes still to play in the 35-11 win.

England’s Man of the Match Mike Brown screams his delight after scoring a try.

“They made it hard for us but everyone will struggle against Fiji because they are a big, strong side”.

It was by no means plain sailing for the tournament hosts as Fiji defended strongly and carried a threat but England will be delighted to have claimed the extra point that could prove vital in a tough Pool A also containing Australia and Wales. “It’s insane , but it doesn’t seem that long ago when England won it in 2003”.