Flying winger bags a double and thinks he has earned another spot in the run-on side.
Tom Briscoe is confident he has done enough to keep his international starting spot on the right wing after his first-half double helped England to a 42-0 win over Ireland in the World Cup.
After defeat against Australia in the opener last weekend Steve McNamara’s side were looking to kick-start their campaign in Group A in Huddersfield.
And they certainly made a fast start, Ryan Hall running in a hat-trick and Briscoe touching down twice as the tournament co-hosts opened up a 30-0 lead at the interval.
Brett Ferres also went over in the first half for England and Kallum Watkins and Rangi Chase then touched down in the second period.
And for Briscoe it was a case of making the most of his opportunity after McNamara promoted him to start against the men in green.
Wigan Warriors flyer Josh Charnley had started the Australia clash last weekend but after his two-try outing Briscoe has certainly given his head coach food for thought.
“I took my chance. It’s what I wanted to do before the game,” said Briscoe, who signed for Leeds Rhinos from Hull FC this off-season.
“Josh played last week and this was my chance to stake my claim for the spot that all three wingers are after. Hopefully I’ve done enough to keep the spot.
“Setting up and scoring tries are all for the team and thankfully we got a good win today.
“It was hard to start with but this was my opportunity and I gave it my best.”
Next up for England in Group A is a clash with Fiji and McNamara admits he has a few selection headaches after a strong showing at the John Smith’s Stadium.
“We did okay. We found some real rhythm in the first half and made the most of it,” he said.
“It was good to get a good lead in the first half because the rain came pouring down in the second half so we are relatively happy.
“There is plenty to talk about in terms of selection. We will have a normal review of the game as the weekend unfolds and get ready for a tough game against Fiji next week.”
Ireland now face Australia in their final Group A clash meaning their hopes of progressing are extremely slim.
And after a first-half blitz cost them dear coach Mark Aston admitted his side had been taught a less by England’s slick display.
“We got a bit of an education in how to play. I’m proud of how the boys performed in the second half,” he said.
“We have something to build on. It’s a process we are working on for the next few years.
“They (England) are a good team with the ball and we made many mistakes and gave penalties away so we have to dust ourselves down for our next challenge against Australia.”
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