I HOPE I HAVE GIVEN WAYNE A HEADACHE ...I DID ALL I COULD
Brown seized his England chance and wants to take on the world but insists he will have no regrets if that’s his lot
KEVIN BROWN will have no regrets if he does not pull an England shirt on again after doing all he could to earn a place in Wayne Bennett’s first-choice 17.
Brown was one of four players given their first World Cup action and he responded with an assured performance at stand-off, particularly during an opening half hour that saw England race into a 26-0 lead.
Bennett’s side dropped off after the break for the second consecutive week, scoring just once in the final 38 minutes.
But the coach picked out Brown as one of the players for praise, and the Warrington half-back hopes he has enhanced his chances of featuring in Sunday’s quarter-final against Papua New Guinea.
“I’m mindful we’ve some fantastic players in the squad, and probably a couple of superstars returning next week,” said Brown. “But fingers crossed I’ve given Wayne a headache at the very least.
“I’ll have no regrets or hold any grudges if I’m not picked next week. I did some good things, and a couple of things that weren’t the smartest. But overall I was really pleased to play for my country again and play well.
“It was a big goal of mine, and I cherish every moment I get now in this shirt because I know every time could be my last.”
Brown, like Bennett, lamented basic handling errors in the second half as France regrouped after being almost overrun in the opening stages.
Brown linked well with halfback partner Luke Gale and new full-back Gareth Widdop, who opened the scoring and laid on another for Mark Percival. Stefan Ratchford, James Graham and John Bateman also scored before the break. Benjamin Garcia replied for France, but Jermaine McGillvary ended his difficult week in the perfect way with two second-half tries. He was cleared of biting in the previous week’s win over Lebanon, and produced another dangerous performance on the right wing.
He said: “It’s never nice to be in front of a court room and potentially have your World Cup in ruins, but justice has prevailed. I was a bit rusty and my head was a bit rattled.
“It is something I have never experienced before, it could’ve been my World Cup done.” QUARTER-FINALS FRIDAY: Australia v Samoa (Darwin KO 9am)
SAT: New Zealand v Fiji (Christchurch KO 4am) SAT: Tonga v Lebanon (Wellington KO 6.30am) SUN: England v Papua New Guinea (Melbourne KO 5am)